To be the best, Like there no one ever was
by Tango Charlie
Summary: Ash Ketchum has just won the Unova League. Follow his journey as he and his Pokemon train to be the best, like there no one ever was. Follow his journey as he finally achieves his true Potential. Follow his journey as he goes on a training trip to get back his old Pokemon and take on the world! Multi-Ash Shipping.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Yo guys! What's up everyone? For those familiar with me, this is my second story and my first Pokémon Fanfiction. I was really pissed off at the result of the Vertress Conference, which was my main motive at writing this Fanfic.

Although I really love the Anime, I don't want to believe that Ash has somehow found the fountain of Youth. Hence, he and the other Characters _will be aging in this Fic!_ That's right, so no stupid R- Rated moments between 10 year olds. Also this will be a Multi-Ash Shipping fic for the time being, since I've not yet decided on what Pairing I want. But beware that romance is not the main focus of this fiction, making Ash as badass as I can _is_.

And for those who were wondering, no I do **not **own Pokémon. Seriously, why the fuck do we even need to put this? If I owned Pokémon, why wouldn't the Anime be same as my fic?

As for the ages-

Ash Ketchum- 16 Y/O

Misty- 17 Y/O

May- 15 Y/O

Dawn- 15 Y/O

Iris- 14 Y/O

Brock/Cilan 20 Y/O

Trip/Max- 11 Y/O

Gary/Casey/Ritchie/Drew/Paul/Morrison/Barry/Stephan/Cameron/Georgia- All are 16 Y/O

Harrison/Conway/Virgil/Bianca (Unova)/Zoey/Kenny/Ursula - All are 18 Y/O

Tyson (Johto)/Nando/Tobias- 21 Y/O

**XXX**

**3****rd**** Person POV**

"Both Pikachu and Umbreon are unable to battle, Trainers send out your last Pokémon!" The Referee announced to the whole stadium, Fifty thousand people excitedly watching the final match and now, the final battle of the Vertress Conference.

Virgil returned his starter with a grimace. It was turning out a lot harder than he had expected. His Eeveelutions were all well trained by him over the cource of several years, so how was it that Ash could have defeated five of his Pokémon with his barely one-year-trained ones?

If Virgil were to be honest to himself, he had never expected Ash to reach the final stage. From what Information he could gather from the official league website, Ash had a tendency to use completely new teams of Pokémon in every league. Only Pikachu remained a constant. And Virgil had not been proven wrong since the Pokémon he had used till now were Dewott, Pignite, Leavanny, Krookodile and Pikachu. And to add insult to injury, he hadn't even revealed his Sixth Pokémon! Whereas all of Virgil's six Pokémon had been revealed.

'_My Pokémon should have curb stomped Ash's rookie ones, how is this even possible that he is going neck and neck to me?' _Virgil thought in disbelief.

'_Flareon is still a bit damaged from its battle against Krookodile, but if my knowledge about Ash's other Unova Pokémon is correct, then only Snivy, Unfezant and Boldore are left. Palpitoad is still damaged and if it was not then Ash would have surely sent it against Jolteon.' _Virgil took a deep breath as he threw his last Pokeball.

"Flareon, come on out!" Flareon appeared in all its glory, a little bit of cuts and bruises visible, but otherwise battle ready.

"Fla!" Flareon yipped as it took a ready stance.

'_Now what Pokémon will you use Ask Ketchum? I hope it isn't one from his semi-final team, even I wouldn't have been able to defeat that.' _Virgil didn't have to wait long as Ash threw his Pokeball with a confident smile on his face. When Virgil saw the Pokémon which emerged from the Pokeball, he could only say one thing

"Damn."

**XXX**

"You did well buddy. Now take a nice long rest, I promise I will bring home the Trophy." Ash promised his starter Pokémon as two Chancy put him on a stretcher.

"Pika" Pikachu weakly smiled as it collapsed back on the stretcher.

Ash calmly walked back to his corner, his hat pointed downward to cover his facial expression and his ears muted to every cheer. Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town had only one thought in his mind.

'_This is it. The final battle.' _He has to win, there's no two ways around it.

His team had truly surprised Ash. Even though he always had complete faith in his Pokémon, he couldn't help but think that his Pokémon proved everyone wrong today, even him. Nobody had expected a rookie team to defeat a multitude of highly trained Eeveelutions.

In truth, he might not have used any one of them if not for a particular incident.

Cameron had been a noob, no doubt about it. But the same noob pushed Ash to the limit with just five, FIVE Pokémon. Pikachu barely pulled up after the clash between his Volt Tackle and Lucario's Bone rush. After his extremely embarrassing victory against Cameron, Ash had decided to use a completely veteran team for the semi-finals against Dino.

The Victory, if he could call it so, had been a complete domination by his side. He had used Snorlax, Swellow, Totodile, Torterra, Infernape and his legendary defeater Sceptile. So there was no need to say that it was an easy victory for Ash. He had decided to rest Pikachu for the finals.

But what Ash had perhaps naively chosen to forget was the possible backlash from his Unova team.

Unlike his older Pokémon, his Unova team had never experienced Ash going on another journey altogether, while taking only Pikachu. Thus when they had to watch the match from the stands, they had overreacted.

Many of the Pokémon in the Unova group had been abandoned by their previous trainers. And thus they had made a very strong bond with Ash due to his caring and lovable nature towards them. They didn't want Ash to leave them just because they were weak, and so they started training, hard.

Their training was so intense that Oshawott evolved into Dewott and Snivy and Pignite were also close to evolving. So it was a testament to their willpower really.

It was Professor Oak who informed and explained the matter to Ash, who was highly surprised that his Pokémon would go to such lengths to prove themselves to them. So he again changed his team and apologised to the Unova group, and told them that if he was happy with what they had achieved in the short time, he will definitely take a gamble and use them. And they hadn't disappointed him in the slightest.

'_Thanks guys. You proved to me that my trust in you was not foolish. Man, if only I could rub this in Paul's face.'_ Ash mentally thanked his Pokémon as an amused smile appeared on his face at thinking of his rival. He could only hope that losing to him in the Sinnoh league would have forced Paul to rethink his approach to training his Pokémon.

'_But now it's time for me to use my secret weapon.' _Ash took out the last Pokeball, which contained one of his strongest Pokémon, not named Charizard or Sceptile.

Although it was indeed one of his strongest, its league battle experience was very little. But he made up for that in terms of raw strength alone. Regardless, Ash was 110% assured of his victory.

Ash grinned as he enlarged the Pokeball. He threw it towards the arena is his usual fashion, where Flareon was anxiously waiting for its opponent.

"I choose you-"

"_**GARCHOMP**_!" Ash clenched his fists in excitement as the land shark Pokémon appeared.

The Pokémon in question was 6'8", quite tall even for its species. It's colour predominantly navy blue with red and yellow colored portions on its torso. A shark like fin protruding from its back with an equally shark-esque tail made for an intimidating view. Not to mention the razor sharp teeth and yellow eyes.

The Mach Pokémon opened its yellow eyes as it gave out a deafening roar, causing many in the crowd to scream out in terror and an equal number of people to look in awe at the Pseudo-Legendary Pokémon.

Garchomp turned its eyes towards Flareon, who visibly flinched back, and gave it a psychotic grin. One which told, '_I'mma have Fun with you punk!'_

Virgil looked at the absolutely terrifying figure of the dual Ground/Dragon Type, as it towered over his Flareon. Garchomp must be scarily strong to make his vintage Flareon to get scared.

"Damn you Ash." Virgil muttered as his mind went overdrive into making strategies to defeat the monster before him. Pseudo Legendaries more often than not lived up to their names.

**XXX**

_In the stands_

Iris, Stephan, Trip, Cameron, Georgia and Bianca watched with dropped jaws as Ash released the draconian Pokémon. Axew, Lucario and Sawk watched the powerful dragon with respect, and admiration in the case of Axew.

"How? No **when** did he catch a G-Garchomp?" Iris asked the question which was probably on everyone's mind.

'_How can someone from the Boonies catch such a powerful Pokémon? And not only Garchomp, Ash's Sceptile was even faster than my Serperior.' _Trip thought to himself. Even though his opinion about other regions had drastically changed after his defeat by Ash, it was still a shock to him to see Ash as such a powerful trainer. '_Could it be that my opinions about Kanto are wrong? Perhaps I should visit the place sometime.' _ He promptly took a large number of pictures of the Dragon Type.

"Damn Sawk, looks like Ash got a lot stronger." Stephan muttered to his companion Pokémon.

"Saaawk." Sawk shared his trainer's opinion.

Georgia didn't say anything. On one hand, Ash was her friend and a definite good guy, '_Unlike Miss Dragon Master', _she thought sarcastically. Also Ash used a wide variety of Pokémon, not only Dragon types.

But On the other hand, she really disliked Dragon type Pokémon!

'_Well, it's not as if Ash only uses Dragon types, and besides Garchomp looks scarily strong too. Wouldn't want to get on his bad side.' _Georgia apparently made her decision.

Bianca looked with sparkling eyes at Garchomp. "Whoa, looks like Ash has got some pretty strong Pokémon!"

Seeing as she had never seen one Garchomp before, she decided to scan it with her Pokedex.

_**Garchomp: **_

"_**The Land-Shark Pokémon. When it folds up its body, its looks like a jet plane and flies at sonic speed. It never allows its prey to escape."**_

Cameron and Lucario also looked at Garchomp with a critical glaze. It looked a strong opponent to test their abilities against.

But during all this, Cilan was not the least bit surprised, this showed on his face as Iris promptly asked him why was he so calm.

"You see Iris, one month ago I accidently caught Ash and Garchomp during their training session. Annnnnnnd before you get angry, he said that he wanted to surprise you after the tournament." Cilan said so as to prevent Ash from possible bodily harm by Iris.

Iris grudgingly accepted the excuse, but Georgia couldn't help herself. "Hmph, Ash probably thought you might try to steal Garchomp from him." Georgia said rather childishly.

"What did you say!" Iris growled. Well it had the desired effect that's for sure.

"Well if you look at it honestly, for all your talk of being a Dragon master, you just have an unevolved Axew and a rogue Dragonite, it's not too farfetched to say you might try to get Garchomp by 'any means necessary'." Georgia continued in a rather casual tone, as if she was talking about the weather or something.

"Oh yeah? And for all your talk of being a 'Dragon Buster', you lost to me. HAH!" Iris retorted, which led to almost an all out brawl between the two, if not for Cilan calming the duo down.

**XXX**

_Arena_

"You ready Garchomp?" Ash asked his only dragon type.

Garchomp gave a grin at that and pumped up his hands, err claws "GAAR!"

Virgil was a bit unnerved at Garchomp's confidence, but shook it off. His Flareon had taken on strong foes before too, now wasn't the time to be intimidated.

"Flareon, let's start things off with a _Flamethrower_!" Virgil commanded and in response Flareon let out a scorching stream of fire towards its opponent. The flamethrower was stronger than what is usually seen, showing that Flareon was well trained.

However Garchomp didn't look even a bit unnerved by the attack coming towards it, neither did it fly up. The reason was made clear when Ash yelled out "Garchomp show them a real fire type move, use _Fire Blast_!"

"What the-" Virgil couldn't even finish his sentence as he was forced to cover his eyes due to the much stronger version of a normal _Flamethrower_ coming from Garchomp. _Fire Blast_ was essentially a more powerful, but less accurate version of _Flamethrower._ But it was perfect for meeting head on with Flareon's move.

"Flareon, don't give up! Increase your power!" Virgil said desperately as the _Fire Blast_ took over the Flamethrower quite easily. Garchomp's raw Dragon power didn't help things.

"Fla-!" Flareon cried out in distress as the _Fire Blast_ eventually reached it, only its Fire typing protecting it from enduring a debilitating injury. Its wounds from previous battle were aggravated due to the Fire attack.

Seeing its opponent wincing in pain, Garchomp let out another blood-curdling roar, making many spectators cover their ears

"Now Garchomp, use _Sandstorm_." Ash ordered calmly as Garchomp waved its hands for a bit, creating a sandstorm from out of nowhere.

Virgil, Flareon and most of the spectators had to cover their eyes as the sandstorm hit full power. This in turn allowed Garchomp to levitate a bit in Air and take off after Flareon unnoticed.

"Flareon, keep a look out for Garchomp!" Virgil commanded probably a bit too late as Garchomp arrived in front of Flareon seemingly out of nowhere, both of its fins glowing white.

"Garchomp use _Dual Chop_!" Ash said confidently as Garchomp raised its fins to hit the finishing attack.

But Virgil and Flareon hadn't reached the finals without merit as Virgil immediately shouted "Flareon use _Iron Tail_ to defend!"

Flareon's tail immediately glowed white as it jumped in the air to block the _Dual Chop_. Iron tail didn't actually turn the user's tail into Iron, rather it stretched the muscles and tissues of the Pokémon's tail to a extreme degree, giving the effect of Iron.

"Flareon is tough Virgil, I give you that. Blocking Garchomp's dual chap is no small feat, but you've played right into our trap, Garchomp don't let Flareon escape and use _Dragon Pulse_!"

Since Flareon was in mid air and its tail was in a battle with Garchomp's hands, unfortunately couldn't dodge the green sphere launched by Garchomp point-blank, despite Virgil desperately yelling it to dodge. Garchomp had increased the power behind his _Dual Chop_, forcing Flareon to keep defending by using _Iron Tail_.

Dragon pulse created a green sphere of energy not very different looking from _Energy ball _or _Electro Ball_. The _Dragon Pulse_ hit Flareon hard and threw it back. Flareon hit the ground for a few times before skidding to a stop painfully.

The referee looked at Flareon with a critical gaze, but just as he was about to raise the flag to indicate Garchomp's victory, Flareon surprised pretty much every viewer when it stood back up, panting hard.

However unlike its foe, Garchomp was completely untouched during the battle. The result was pretty much clear to everyone watching, Garchomp had already won.

"Garchomp, finish this, use _Dragon Rage_!" Ash commanded what he hoped to be the last move of the match.

Garchomp didn't disappoint. A Red sphere of energy was created in its Jaws, not dissimilar to Fire Blast, and was launched at high speeds towards the heavily injured Flareon.

Despite its best efforts, Flareon was unable to dodge, its body still paralysed from the Dragon Pulse. The _Dragon Rage_ reached Flareon in a flash, who could only open its mouth in a silent scream as the powerful attack hit full power.

"Flareon NO!" Virgil could only grit his teeth as the powerful Dragon type move hit Flareon.

When the smoke from the attack cleared, the result was just as expected. Flareon was lying on its back, swirls in its eyes indicating that it was completely knocked out.

"Flareon is unable to battle, Garchomp wins. The winner of this match and the Vertress Conference is Ash Ketchum of Pallet town!" The referee announced as he raised the red flag, indicating Ash's long overdue victory.

When Garchomp heard this, it immediately took off towards its trainer. Virgil himself was shocked; he had been utterly crushed in the final match of the Vertress conference. At the start of the tournament Virgil had written off Ash. Despite being a veteran trainer with many powerful Pokémon, Ash gifted himself a handicap in every league he competed. Using new Pokémon for league battles are hardly advisable, but Ash had definitely proven everyone wrong.

Ash was stunned. He could hardly believe it, he had actually done it! '_I've finally won a league!'. _He was so shocked that he almost missed the big blue blur coming at him at high speeds. It was only when Garchomp affectionately bit his head with its massive Jaws that Ash was completely broken out of its reverie. Many people in the stands, especially teenage girls, 'aww-ed' at the affectionate display by the usually brutal Pokémon.

"Ow! Ow! Cut it out Garchomp!" Ash scolded his Pokémon half heartedly as he basked in the glory of several cheers ringing out in the stadium. '_After so many hits and misses, I've finally won a league. Oh man, this feeling is so awesome I can't even describe it!'_ Ash was broken out of his glee as he noticed a outstretched hand, which he traced back to identify it as Virgil's.

"A good battle Ash, you definitely deserved to win the league." Virgil complimented as Ash shook his hand in a display of good sportsmanship. The truth was that Virgil was at the very least happy that he lost to someone he considered a friend and someone who truly cared for Pokémon, rather than some arrogant Jackass who only cared for power.

The referee came down and instructed them to wait in the Dressing rooms for 30 minutes while the preparations for the Award Ceremony took place; he then congratulated Ash on his victory and took off.

**XXX**

Ash was predictably mobbed in the Dressing room by his friends and his Pokémon. Pikachu affectionately nuzzled Ash, happy to have helped his friend get on the first step towards his dream of being a Pokémon master. Things almost got ugly when Iris stomped in and promptly dressed him down for keeping the existence of a 'Beautiful' Pokémon like Garchomp from her. Needless to say, Garchomp was quite happy to hear that.

"Hey Cilan, Georgia, Bianca, Trip, Cameron and Stiphin!" Ash cheerfully welcomed his friends, although he was surprised to see 'em all together.

"Damn it, its STEPHAN!" Stephan cried out in anguish, but for some unknown reason no one really noticed.

"It was a great battle Ash, your Garchomp is a really strong Pokémon." Georgia complimented Ash as Iris looked on in disbelief.

"You actually praised GARCHOMP!?" Iris yelled out.

"Yeah so?" Georgia acted as if she didn't get it.

"Well, don't you hate Dragon Types, miss '_Dragon buster'_?" Iris said sarcastically as she used Air quotes for Georgia's nickname.

"Hmph, unlike you, Miss Wannabe '_Dragon Master'… _Ash has a rather well rounded team of Pokémon, its only wannabe master's like you and master's like Drayden that I hate." Georgia said snobbishly as she and Iris started another argument which everyone smartly ignored.

Trip congratulated Ash in his usual manner, by using a veiled insult. "Congratulations Ash, since you won the league, I can now say without shame that it was the League winner against whom I was eliminated. Maybe Kanto isn't the boonies after all."

Ash sweatdropped at the rather insulting congratulations, but he had gotten used to such things after meeting Trip so many times during his journey.

Cameron, Lucario and Bianca also congratulated Ash, with the former two cursing their lack of information leading them to use only 5 Pokémon in the Quarter Finals against Ash.

"Thanks a lot guys, this really means a lot to me, you all watching my match, cheering me on. Thank you." Ash said with a smile as his Friends/Rivals smiled back.

"But don't think that just 'cause you've won the league you're the best Ash, me and Lucario are coming right at'cha!" Lucario barked in agreement as he and Cameron gave a thumbs up to Ash.

Georgia smirked in her usual confident manner, while Bianca merely smiled. Stephan and Sawk were the next most enthused as they even started doing push-ups right down and there.

"You bet guys, but me and my friends won't be slacking off either. We have got the Unova Elite four and Alder to challenge after all." This statement of Ash's made everyone's eyes widen. The Elite four Challenge of Unova was one of the strongest ones after Sinnoh and Kanto.

"You shouldn't get cocky Ash. Unlike Virgil, the Elite Four are on a completely different level. You can't expect to take them on with just your Unova Pokémon; you will have to use every resource you have." Cilan warned Ash, who thought over his words.

"Trainer Ash Ketchum please make you way to the Arena. You are requested to bring your Pokémon along with you." The speaker in the room spoke up.

Ash took a deep breath "Well that's my cue guys, wish me luck!" He then made his way to the centre of the battlefield, thunderous applause from 50,000 viewers cheering him on.

**XXX**

As Ash held the trophy proudly in his hands, his mind went into the various flashbacks over just how many times he had lost before. '_I've finally done it. Well I could have in Sinnoh too if not for Tobias and his crazy legendaries.' _Garchomp was present in the air above Ash, a proud grin etched onto its face. Leavanny, Krookodile, Dewott and Pignite stood proudly around him, while Pikachu was in its usual spot on its trainer's shoulder.

Charles Goodshow, president of the Pokémon league stood beside him. Ash had been rather surprised to know that Goodshow still remembered him, seeing as their last meeting was quite a way back. Goodshow had said that he was quite happy to see the young trainer from back then a league winner now.

As per tradition, it was the Unova League Champion, Alder who presented Ash the trophy. Ash had met Alder during his Unova journey was quite happy when Alder recognised him. The Unova Champion was a large man with wild Orange hair which came till his lower back. Alder had also taken it upon himself to announce Ash's victory to the Arena which unfortunately didn't go well.

"Ladies and Gentlemen" Alder started in a loud voice over the mike "I present to you, this year's winner of the Unova League, _Ashton Ketchup_ of Pallet Town!" He finished in a jovial tone.

Almost the entire arena face faulted at the rather horrendous blunder from the Champion who was looking rather quizzically at the anime tears of Ash. Trip face-palmed '_This is the guy I admired the most in my childhood?' _

"What's the matter Ashton, you've just won the league! Cheer up!" Alder said.

"HOW?!" Ash practically screamed "HOW CAN YOU GET MY NAME WRONG?" He then wildly pointed towards the large jumbotron, which clearly showed Ash's correct name "ITS CLEARLY WRITTEN ASH KETCHUM!" Ash would have yelled eve more at the clueless champion if not for a loud voice coming from the stands, which was made clearer by the stunned quietness of the crowd.

"HAH! How's it feel Ash? Huh? How's it feel to get _your _name wrong for once?" Stephan asked in a rather smug and victorious tone.

"What are you talking about Stiphan? No one gets your name wrong." Ash said rather confidently.

"See! SEE! You did it again, its S-T-E-P-H-A-N !" Stephan yelled out in anguish.

"Calm down Stevin, you're creating a scene." Cameron tried to placate his friend.

"You did it too!" Stephan yelled out in frustration as security started gathering around him.

"Mr. Stepheen, we advise you to keep quiet, your creating quite a scene." A man in black suit and glasses, probably security, said to Stephan who almost tore his hair out in frustration, but finally sat down; shaking in anguish all the while.

**XXX**

"Well, that was weird." Ash said out loud, after which things finally came to order as a few league officials convinced Alder that Ash's name was really 'Ash' and not 'Ashton'. The Champion was easily lured to the background as the two beautiful trophy girls came out.

Ash raised the trophy high above in the air as the crowd cheered wildly for the youngest Unova League winner in 10 years.

Garchomp, Pikachu, Dewott, Pignite, Leavanny and Krookodile also stood with proud smiles on their faces. Krookodile's glasses shined with the hundreds of camera-shots being taken.

'_I've finally won guys. Brock, Misty, Tracie, May, Dawn, Max, Iris, Cilan…..Thank you all for supporting me all the while.' _Ash thought of his previous travelling partners as well as best friends. _'I wonder whether they watched my match or not….'_

**XXX**

_Twinleaf Town, Sinnoh(Before Garchomp vs Flareon)_

"GO ASH! GO ASH! IF YOU CAN'T DO IT NO ONE CAN!" A blue haired teenage girl dressed in a pink cheerleading uniform cheered as she jumped in front of her Television, a brown bunny like Pokémon almost identically dressed doing the same. As Johanna had been a rather successful co-ordinator back in her day, Dawn's family was well to do, so it was no surprise that she had a rather large and HI-Fi Television.

"Bun! Bun!" Buneary cheered on her crush Pikachu as he clashed with Umbreon. Piplup was nearby, making his own little sounds of approval.

Dawn had been amazed by the fact that Ash had reached the finals of the Unova League. Not that she didn't have confidence in him, just because it simply was such an amazing achievement. And even if she couldn't go and personally cheer on Ash in Unova, she sure as hell could do it in her home!

Just as Garchomp's Dragon Rage finished off Flareon, Dawn embraced her starter Piplup and Buneary with a squeal "Ash won Piplup! Buneary! He really did it. Little Gible has grown so strong now, dominating opponents, winning leagues. Isn't that right Piplup, after all you and Gible were the best of friends, right?"

Piplup itself was shocked to the core. Gible had actually evolved!? Gible's Draco Meteors were troublesome enough when he was little, now that he was a beast, how would Piplup even survive?

Apparently, Piplup hadn't forgotten the number of times Gible's Draco meteor hit him out of nowhere.

Johanna sweatdropped from her spot on the couch at the eccentric displays of her daughter and her Pokémon. Imagine her surprise when she turned on the television to watch the match of Dawn's travelling partner Ash against a boy named Paul in the Sinnoh league, and she sees her daughter cheering the boy on like a high school cheerleader. And not only cheering, her daughter apparently had the total package, full on with a scanty uniform and Pom-Pom's along with an equally excited Buneary.

...She had been _surprised_ to say the least. But she had been even more surprised when Dawn totally denied that she was in a relationship with the boy. Even though Johanna assured Dawn that she liked Ash, and his mother was good a person to talk to too and thus she didn't have any problem if Dawn was in a potential relationship with him.

"I get it that you need to support your boyfriend Dawn, but is this all really necessary?" She asked in exasperation.

Dawn froze her celebration and turned beet red. "MOM! How many times do I have to say to you that he is _not_ my boyfriend?" Dawn said in a squeaky voice while her two Pokémon snickered.

Dawn sighed. It was like this ever since she returned from seeing off Ash and Brock after they split up. Her Mom had somehow got the crazy idea that Ash was her boyfriend! Just because she cheered for him in a cheerleaders uniform, travelled with him for more than a year, denied the offer of her childhood friend, who had a crush on her mind you, to travel with, and totally admired him as a trainer and as a friend, didn't mean she _liked _him.

Did she?

**XXX**

_Johto, Azalea Town_

A group of Co-ordinators were huddled around a Television as the finals of the Unova League was coming to a close, with Garchomp dominating its opponent thoroughly. All four watched anxiously... Well, one of them did, the rest three were somewhat 'convinced' to watch.

May, Soledad, Drew and Harley watched in amazement as Ash's Garchomp curb-stomped Virgil's powerful Flareon. Just as the referee raised the flag to indicate Ash's victory, May erupted in a large squeal of joy, causing he fellow Co-ordinators to cover their ears.

"Yeah! Ash won! He really did it!" May yelled happily as she jumped up from her seat. She then pointed a finger dramatically to the slack jawed green haired boy "HA! Take that Drew! You said '_Ash doesn't have a chance of winning'_ but he did! And he didn't just win; he utterly crushed that other boy!"

Drew reluctantly came to terms with the fact that the boy he secretly considered his biggest rival, Ash Ketchum, indeed had won the league. '_Hmph, you may have won the league Ash, but the ultimate victory will be mine!'_ He thought resolutely. He had thought that travelling with May during the Johto journey could increase his chances, but so far it was useless. May not only didn't show any obvious romantic interest in him, whenever she talked about her previous journeys it was always about either Ash, Max or Brock...preferable Ash. And that annoyed Drew to no extent.

"Hmph, such an uncouth and savage _victory_." Harvey started in a snobbish tone "But then again, what could you probably expect from May's boyfriend." Harvey said with a rather smug grin. He knew that his statement would draw the ire of two particular people in the room, but for completely different reasons. Truth be told, even Harvey was impressed at Ash's dominating victory.

May turned red in the face due to the suggestive insinuation from the guy she probably hated the most; and was about to tear Harvey and deny that Ash was her boyfriend, when Drew abruptly got up from his chair and stomped out. "I need fresh air." He gave as an explanation.

May stared rather quizzically at the back of Drew. "Geez, what's his problem?"

Soledad shook her head at the antics of her rivals and silently congratulated Ash in her mind. He had really come a long way from when she had last seen him.

**XXX**

_Pallet Town, Kanto_

The mood in Pallet town was one not experienced in more than 15-20 years. Not since a certain someone ran through the league and became Champion.

But today the same atmosphere was present, even though a bit subdued. Most of the streets were empty, but each and every house had its lights on. The lone Bar in Pallet was also filled to the brim as people anxiously watched the match of one Ash Ketchum, the first trainer in many years to reach a league Final.

Ever since Devon Corporation had extended its reach into the Television and Marketing Department, people of all regions could now watch the finals and Championship battles of other leagues. People in Kanto could watch the finals of Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh and Unova and so on. This also had the added effect of Pokémon league finals now becoming much more marketed and better organised events. The league matches were properly dated, so that the people could watch all of the anticipated matches without missing another. It had extended to such a point that the month of April had been dubbed as '**Battle Month**'. With the final week being the Ultimate finale of five league finals in a row.

_Professor Oak's Lab_

The tension at Professor Oak's lab was thick enough to be cut with a knife. A large group of Pokémon and humans alike were watching Ash's exciting match against Virgil.

A large screen and projector were set up in the grounds where the Pokémon resided, allowing the large group to comfortably watch the finals. Normally Professor Oak wouldn't have made such extravagant arrangements, but since it was Delia's son in the finals, not to mention he knew the boy since childhood, Oak had decided to make such arrangements.

Professor Samuel Oak, Pokémon watcher Tracy Sketchit, Cerulean city gym leader Misty Waterflower, former Pewter City gym leader and presently Pokémon Doctor in training, Brock Stone, along with a large group of Pokémon, where excitedly watching the fight between Garchomp and Flareon.

"Garchomp is quite impressive." Gary said, which was agreed by all. Even though Garchomp didn't have to show his full strength against Flareon, its power was still impressive, not to mention it was Garchomp's first official battle in its Evolved state.

Delia looked on with pride at her 16 year son. '_It feels as if it was just yesterday my little baby left to fulfil his dream. Even Pikachu didn't listen to him then' _She thought nostalgically.

"Whoa Brock, is that the same brash boy who spent Caterpie against Pidgeotto?" Misty asked rhetorically. She was deeply impressed by the skills Ash's Pokémon showed in the battle, as well as the change in attitude of Ash from a brat to a focused battler.

"I am wondering whether this is the same kid took on my rock type gym with his Pikachu." Brock deadpanned. "But it seems that our dear friend has all grown up now." Brock finished proudly. Travelling with Ash for 5 years was an experience he could never forget. It was safe to say that Brock never regretted the day when he made his decision to travel with a brash 10 year old and a fiery redhead.

Brock also realized that Misty missed a lot of Ash's growth during the Hoenn and Sinnoh journeys. Him winning the Battle Frontier was a example of it.

Not to mention Paul… that guy might have been the one to have the greatest effect on Ash. He was the one who shook him up the most.

Misty looked at the television, where an image of Ash was shown. '_He's grown.'_ Misty thought. The last time she had seen him had been during his Hoenn journey. '_It's been way too long Ash.'_ Ash had always been a bit short for his age, but it seemed as if two years in Sinnoh and then in Unova had some effect on Ash. His height was now average for his age, his hair looked tamer, heck even his face looked...mature?

"That's true." Misty agreed with Brock's last statement.

She still fondly remembered the days she spent travelling with Ash, Brock and Tracie. Even May and Max for a little while. The number of legendaries they saw during their journeys was nothing short of extraordinary. More ridiculous was the fact that how many times Ash had risked his own life to save the day and sometimes potentially the world! So many organisations and individuals spent their entire lives looking for legendaries, digging for ancient clues and spending a bucket load of money.

But Ash as a beginning 16 year old had seen and made friends with more legendaries than those researchers ever did!

Ash was her best friend; there was no doubt about it. Even though she had initially followed him as a petty way to get back her bike, the sheer number of dangers and adventures they faced together made them the best of friends. But still Misty couldn't help but question herself, was she and Ash just friends or something more?

She shook her head, now wasn't the time to think such things. Ash needed her support! Although she was a bit sad that she couldn't visit Unova herself. Since the Gym was closed for offseason, she had enough free time to visit Unova. But no one had anticipated Ash to actually reach the Finals; and so the tickets were already sold out by the time anyone could think of going.

**XXX**

**ACTIVATE POKESPEECH/**_With Ash's Pokémon_

Staraptor, Gliscor, Swellow, Unfezant and Noctowl watched calmly as they perched upon the large tree present on Torterra's back. Kingler, Palpitoad, Totodile, Buizel and Corphish were watching from their position near the edge of the pond in Oak Corral.

Bulbasaur, Muk, Snorlax, Heracross, Bayleef, Quilava, Donphan, Sceptile, Torkoal, Glailie, Infernape, Scraggy and Boldore squirmed for space on the congested ground as each one tried to get the better view.

Snivy however had a front row seat, seeing as Pignite was fighting in the finals.

The reason for the lack of space could be attributed to mostly two Pokémon. One being Snorlax, whose large body took up much of the space and the other, was a large orange Dragon like Fire Type.

Charizard had come all the way from Charicific Valley to watch the league finals of its trainer with its fellow Pokémon. Charizard looked with calculative eyes as Garchomp battled in a style much similar to its own.

"_Not a shrimp now, is he Charizard?" _Bulbasaur asked smugly to his long time friend.

Charizard grunted. The first time he had seen Garchomp was when he was just a little Gible. Charizard had called Gible puny and weak, effectively creating a one sided rivalry. But since Gible had evolved into Garchomp the rivalry wasn't entirely one sided now.

"_He might have grown big now, but he ain't no match for me Flower_." Charizard grumbled out, even though he knew that in truth, Garchomp could provide more than just a challenge to him.

"_Sure, whatever you say you overgrown lizard."_ Bulbasaur teased Charizard as he went back towards the place where Ash's grass types were huddled.

"_You wanna go Flower!?"_ Charizard asked as the fire on his tail grew larger.

Torterra shuffled nervously_. "Um, Bulbasaur, sir, I don't think that you should make Charizard angry."_ Even though Torterra was the largest among all of Ash's Pokémon, it was still the youngest among the grass types. Even Snivy was older than him since she previously belonged to another trainer.

Bulbasaur yawned _"No need to get worried kid, it's not as if he can actually do anything to me."_

Charizard stomped towards Torterra, making sweat under his gaze. All of Ash's Pokémon knew of the power Charizard possessed, and thus knew to never piss him off. The truth was that Charizard won't likely attack anyone seriously anyways, seeing as all of them were an extended family of sorts. But the others remained safe than sorry.

"_And why the hell are you calling Bulbasaur 'Sir' anyway? You are the Continent Pokémon for heaven's sake!? You can crush the little flower everyday of the week!"_ Charizard asked incredulously to the nervous Torterra.

It was no secret among Ash's Pokémon that Bulbasaur's size was a sore topic for him. Since each and every one of Ash's grass types had evolved till now, Bulbasaur's size was getting to be more of a delicate matter every day. Add to that Snivy's desire to eventually evolve into Serperior, Bulbasaur was happy for the fact that atleast he and Squirtle liked their own sizes.(1)

Unfortunately for Charizard, his comment was wrongly translated into 'Small...is...weak' by many of Ash's smaller Pokémon

Snivy came forward and looked Charizard in the eyes without flinching _"Are you assuming that Size represents power, Charizard?" _She asked with narrowed eyes and a tone which Charizard duly remembered from his time with Charla.

Charizard gulped. Even though he was many times stronger than Snivy and had the type advantage anyways, that threatening tone of voice which only female Pokémon could make, could make anyone male Pokémon nervous.

"_N-no! I-ITS NOTHING LIKE TH-"_ Charizard's stuttering explanation was cut off as many others started snickering. Most prominently Muk.

"Gurk-Gurk-Gurk" Muk laughed at the whipped behaviour of his Kanto friend.

Charizard clenched its fists to control its anger, but when sounds of 'Pussy' and whips started coming he couldn't take it anymore. He started punching the shit out of Muk, who by the time Charizard ended was a smear on the ground.

"_How do ya like that glob? Huh?! NOT SO FUNNY NOW IS IT!"_ Charizard asked with triumph in its voice.

"Gurglk-Gurglk-Gurglk" Muk's laughter came from even the smear, which shocked and creeped everyone out.

"Holy shit how did you survive that Muk?" Buizel asked in amazement and mild disgust.

Muk's body gradually regained its shape, without even a scratch on it. "Gurk-Gurk _That tickled_." He mocked Charizard further, who by this time moved to another place so as to not murder the living blob.

As everyone laughed good naturedly, Totodiles's sudden happy scream got everyone's attention. Every Pokémon turned their eyes towards the projector where they saw Ash's face being illuminated on the T.V. screen, with 'WINNER' written under it.

"_Ash has won! I repeat __**ASH HAS WON**__!"_ Totodile yelled in his raspy voice as he started dancing in happiness.

All of the Pokémon let out a whoop of Joy as multiple elemental attacks were launched in the sky, showing the excitement of the Pokémon. Heck, even Snorlax jumped up once, creating a mild earthquake in Pallet town.

Unseen to all, Bulbasaur made his way to Charizard, who stood a way back. "_Yo Charizard_!" He called out.

Charizard raised an eyebrow _"What's up Bulbasaur?" _

"_Aren't you happy for Ash? He finally won after all this time_." Bulbasaur said to Charizard who snorted.

"_What a stupid question, of cource I'm happy. It's just that I wish they were here with us too." _

"_Who 'they'?"_ Bulbasaur asked in confusion.

"_Pidgeot, Squirtle and Butterfree. The original six."_ Charizard said with nostalgia seeping from every word.

"_Yeah. I do wonder many times how are they_." Bulbasaur said as he and Charizard sat facing the beautiful starry night, the two old friends sitting quietly, wondering the fates of their friends.

"_I can't help but feel that you're getting unusually sentimental today Charizard, can I expect a hug from you too.?" _Bulbasaur asked jokingly.

"_Hmph, don't get too used to it."_

**XXX**

_500 Ft. In Unova Airspace_

"Are you sure you can fix it Meowth?" A voice, belonging to a young woman in her twenties, spoke up as two people and two Pokémon huddled around a Television in a Meowth shaped hot air balloon.

"Shut yer trap Jessie, I'm doin' da best I can." Meowth grunted as he hit the Television to finally make it work. "Come on work ya piece of trash!"

Finally the Television started getting a signal, showing Ash's Pikachu clashing with Virgil's Umbreon.

"Wow, the twerp's Pikachu sure is strong." James commented as Pikachu gained the upper hand against Umbreon.

"Well that's why we have been after it for so long." Jessie agreed.

Suddenly both Pikachu and Umbreon fell down, completely exhausted from the battle.

The three gasped "Oh no, Pikachu is down!"

"What can the Twerp send next?" James wondered.

They didn't have to wait for long as Garchomp emerged in all its glory. "It seems he has saved the best for the last."

As Garchomp hit the Dragon Pulse, Meowth exclaimed "Garchomp sure packs a blast!"

"Wobba-Wobbafet!" Wobbafet apparently agreed as it looked down from its position behind Jessie.

When Flareon was finally finished off by the Dragon Rage, the trio jumped in joy "Woo-hoo! The Twerp really did it!" Jessie yelled as James and Meowth high fived each other.

When the Award ceremony was shown, the trio were almost in tears.

"Sniff-Sniff Da twoip won the league!" Meowth said.

"You know, we've been following the twerp for so long, it seems as if one of us has won it." James said honestly as the other two pondered over his words.

"But don't we want to steal Pikachu?" Meowth asked in confusion.

The trio wondered over the sudden change in thoughts. Even though they had spent so much time and money chasing after the twerps, they could atleast admit that it took them to places they had never even imagined before. Heck they remembered the time when they almost sacrificed their own lives to help the twerp! They couldn't help but wonder, what if they even succeed in stealing Pikachu? What then?

Not to mention, the Boss they had so religiously served all these years didn't seem to particularly care about them.

Jessie, James and Meowth didn't know it then, but they had taken a big step in a positive direction, they just didn't know it yet.

**XXX**

**A/N: ** This is it Guys, the first chapter of what I hope to be an excellent Pokémon Fanfiction! I hope that you atleast give it a chance and review your thoughts to me about the first chapter and how I should continue it.

And for anyone needing extra motivation for reading this in the future, I will give one spoiler.

Ash will be catching a Tyranitar in the future. (Nice, isn't it?)


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Thanks for the awesome feedback guys. Getting so many responses really motivated me to give my best for this, and every future chapter for this Fic.

Here's the new Chapter guys, enjoy!

One of the reviewers asked whether Ash will capture Mewtwo. Well, the answer is no. Mewtwo, in my opinion, is the absolute boss Pokémon. He is so much of a fucking Boss that I don't think Lance's Dragonite and Cynthia's Garchomp combined could face him and win. Thus it would be a moot point for Ash to really train any of his other Pokémon. Seeing as he already will have Mewtwo along with so many other strong Pokémon.

No, in this story I wish to focus on the neglected Pokémon of Ash. And also some of the Pokémon that Ash will capture newly, who all will be awesome, I assure you.

Also, Ash will not in any way be unbeatable in this story. There will be moments when he might get his ass handed to him.

On a separate note, I just got my PS3 copy of Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes. Let me tell you with firsthand experience friends, the gameplay is truly awesome and really a must buy if you still live with your parents or earn a shit load of money. I am saying this because its only 2 hours long, but what great 2 hours man!

**XXX**

_AshPOV_

I blearily opened my eyes as I woke up. I felt a weight on my chest, making me breathe harder than I needed to. I smiled at seeing my long time companion, Pikachu happily snuggling on my chest along with my Unova League Trophy-

Wait what.

"Trophy?" I muttered out in confusion. I sat up, careful enough to put the electric type beside me since it was never nice to get a good-morning-Thundershock from Pikachu, who I had learned from experience was not a morning Pokémon. I carefully picked up the trophy and turned it sideways to see who it belonged to.

"Ash...Ketchum...Unova LEAGUE WINNER!" My voice and eyes grew larger with every word I read. I rested against the wall joined to my bunk with a smile on my face. '_So it really happened huh? I really won the league.' _I looked around the room to see my travel companions Iris and Cilan out of their beds, probably getting ready from breakfast.

"Pikachu?" A curious voice broke my thoughts as I turned to look at my starter Pokémon.

I held up the trophy for him to see. "Look at this Pikachu. After all we've been through, we finally did it." A tear almost escaped from my eyes, but I held it back. One of the things I remembered my dad saying was that real men never cry, seeing as I am 16 now it's better late than never.

"Pika!" Pikachu jumped into my arms with a happy voice. Pikachu was really happy for its trainer. Each and every Pokémon of Ash knew how close he held his dream to his heart and even though they didn't show it, they were always disappointed when they came up short in the leagues

After getting freshened up, I walked to the cafeteria with Pikachu on his usual position on my shoulder. I expected Iris, Cilan and Axew to greet me, so needless to say I was pleasantly surprised to see all my friends gathered together eating breakfast, although there was a bit glaring between Georgia and Iris. Trip was absent, seeing as his relative's home was in the nearby town.

"Good morning Guys!" I greeted them as I walked to the buffet table to get my breakfast.

**XXX**

Ash's Unova rivals and friends sat together on a large table which Nurse Joy was kind enough to provide for them. Since it was already late night by the time Ash's battle was over, they had decided to stay the night in the Pokémon centre and leave the next day.

"How the hell can you eat that much!?" Georgia asked in disgust as Stephan gulped down a rather large portion. She herself was eating a normal breakfast of Bread and Boiled Eggs.

As Stephan gulped down another large serving of pasta, he wiped his mouth to give a intelligible reply to Georgia, but before he could do that, he along with everyone on the table, excluding Iris and Cilan, was shocked to his inner core as Ash sat down on the table.

Ash looked at them with a puzzled expression, but thought it might be because he had won the league yesterday. He then began his...'_breakfast'._

_10 minutes Later_

"Well, that was some nice breakfast. I wonder what's for desert." Ash asked to none in particular. Everyone stared at Ash in amazement as he patted his barely swollen stomach. It was as if he had never eaten the mountain of food!

"W-W-Wh-How?" Bianca couldn't even form a proper sentence as Iris patted her on the back. "Don't worry Bianca, it happened to us too." Iris said as she nodded her head in understanding. The strangest thing was that Ash didn't eat like a glutton, in fact his table manners where quite top notch, making it even more weird how he was able to eat all that food all the while maintaining his table manners.

"You all shouldn't really be surprised, Ash usually eats way more for dinner." Cilan said casually as everyone's eyes widened even further.

"Where the hell does that all go!?" Georgia asked the question which was on everyone's mind, even Iris and Cilan. The food Ash ate daily could hardly be considered vastly nutritious, and did in fact contain a lot of fat. But Ash wasn't fat or even chubby. He had remained rather skinny till his Hoenn journey and it was only in Unova that his body matured enough to start getting visible Muscles.

Stephan was shocked too, but for a completely different matter. '_How did Ash eat more than me!? I had thought I was the person who ate the most in our group but Ash had defeated me once again !' _Stephan raged in his mind._ 'You are a even more worthier rival than I thought Ash, now I have one more thing I need to defeat you in!'_

Even Cameron was shocked, but decided to keep quiet and focus on his own food, because if he looked at Ash for even one second, there was no doubt he would lose his entire appetite.

**XXX**

I patiently sat on the seat before one of the video phones in the Pokémon centre. I was calling Kanto mom, since there was no doubt she would love to hear the news of my victory.

* RING RING * RING RING *

"Hello, Ketchum Residence." The sweet voice of my mother spoke up as her picture came on the screen. Delia Ketchum was a woman in her 30's. But anyone who saw her beautiful face couldn't mistake her to be more than 20, much less a mother of a 16 year old teenager.

"Hey Mom!" I began with a grin before my mom cut me off with the shrillest squeal she had ever made.

"Ashy! I am ssooo proud of you Honey! And you too Pikachu!" She said with the brightest smile I saw on her face in a long time. But first things first, how did she even know about my victory. As far as I remembered, no foreign league battles where shown when I lived with my mom.

"Thanks mom." "Chu Pikachu!"

"But how did you know mom?" I asked.

"I watched your match silly!" She stated the obvious. "Now every regions League Battles are shown on Television." She added as an explanation.

I nodded in wonder. '_Every region huh. When I left for my journey, I didn't even know about any of the other regions.'_ I conveniently chose to forget about my less than stellar marks in Geography.

"So how are you mom?" I asked the question probably everyone asked their loved ones after calling.

"I am fine honey, but you Pokémon are not." She said with a stern face.

I almost fell down my chair in shock "What happened to them!?" I asked/demanded.

"They miss you of course!" She said as I almost face-faulted "But now since you have won the league, they are even more anxious to meet you. "

I nodded in understanding '_After all, they are __**my **__Pokémon.' _Of course they will be excited to see the trophy. But how did they know I won the-

"All of them were so excited when your match was being shown. Samuel set up a large screen and projector in his backyard to watch the match with all your Pokémon. Even Misty and Brock came!"

Mom answered my unasked question; did she read my mind or something? My eyes grew a bit wide when Mom mentioned Brock and Misty, it had been so long since I had talked to them.

I looked at the time, it was almost 12 o'clock. Me, Iris and Cilan had decided to take off on our journey at mid-day, and since it was the beginning of summer, the atmosphere would be perfect of travelling in Unova. The reason being that Unova was a naturally cooler place than Hoenn or Kanto, since it was located in the southern regions.

"Talk to you later mom, Take care!" I said with a smile as I prepared to cut off the phone.

"You too Honey, and by the way when are you returning home?" She asked anxiously, obviously jittery to again see her son in the person after such a long time.

"Me, Iris and Cilan have decided to return to Kanto through the Decolora Islands. So give or take, we will be home in 1 month." I said as I explained to Mom the one month delay. We were originally scheduled to return in one week, but the Decolora Islands were too nice of a place to write off! If only I knew.

"Be safe Ash, and give my love to Iris and Cilan too!" That's my Mom, always so caring and affectionate!

"And don't forget to change your underwear daily Ash!" She said in a cheery tone as she cut off the phone. Damn, sometimes I wonder whether she does that to just embarrass me.

I turned around as sounds of heavy snickering came. Turning around I blushed in embarrassment at seeing all of my friends snickering, heck even Cilan was among them!

" '_Change your underwear Ashyyyyyy' _" Cameron said in a poor imitation of my Mom's voice as he and Lucario high-fived at their bad joke.

Well it was _bad _for me.

"What a kid." Iris said in her usual tone. And for once everyone could actually agree with her.

"Looks like you've got a very doting mother Ash." Georgia deadpanned, in slight disbelief over what she had just heard. It was as if Ash never grew up from the 10 year kid who left his home on his journey in Mrs. Ketchum's eyes.

"Yeah Yeah, veryyyy funny guys. Laugh it up everyone!" I said sarcastically as I waved my hands around, which unfortunately had the wrong effect as everyone actually started laughing harder.

"Tch. Looks like I am not getting the respect I deserve over here Pikachu." I grumbled to my starter who almost snorted as he controlled his own quiet snickering. I however didn't really notice.

"Hmph, let's go outside Pikachu, where my legion of fans must be waiting for me." I said in a regal tone as I walked towards the gates of the Pokémon centre.

"Yeah, as if." Stephan said as he nudged Cameron. Why would Ash have fans?

But to everyone's shock, I was actually mobbed by a group of 6 girls.

All of my friends rushed out to see the unbelievable scene of Ash Ketchum actually having fans. And not only that, _female _fans.

"Hey look it's the Unova league winner!" A brunette girl said as her friends looked on at Ash in wonder.

"Hello!" I greeted them with a smile, which for some unknown reason made them even happier.

"Wow he's such a cutie, isn't that right Isa?" One of them not-so-subtly whispered to her blonde haired friend.

"Yeah, just look at those cute Z's on his face!" The blonde girl gushed over my birth marks for some reason.

"Well I've got them since my bir-" I tried to explain but was again cut off from one of the girls, who looked at me with a disarmingly beautiful smile.

**XXX**

What Ash did not know was that these were the exact kind of girls to keep away from if one becomes a famous teen celebrity. But Ash being Ash didn't really know all this and happily accepted the questions and requests of the girls. In all respects, Ash was in no way a bad looking guy; in fact he was quite handsome with his travelling toned body and spiky black hair. But Ash's love for Pokémon and overly innocent upbringing by his mother prevented him from getting into romantic relationships with any of the girls who expressed an interest in him. The fact of the matter was that Ash didn't even know much about male female relationships, other than that couples kissed and spent time together...or something. (1)

His friends looked on in wonder as Ash was gushed over by a gaggle of pretty teenage girls as if he was some teen celebrity. Which he probably is since he in fact is one of the youngest winners of the Unova league till date.

Georgia's eyes twitched when the clueless league winner was made to stand with the girls for many pictures in various poses. The coup came when two of the girls even kissed each one of Ash's cheeks, who was blushing bright red by that time, and got a picture taken.

Finally the girls dispersed, but not before squeezing the life out of Pikachu, apparently happy with their work. Ash walked towards his friends with a normal smile on his face, as if he had not just now been mobbed by hormonal teenage girls.

"Wow, those girls were awfully friendly, huh Pikachu?" The unbelievably naive boy asked his equally dense starter.

Almost everyone twitched at that particular statement, but decided to remain quiet. Spending half a day with Ash had introduced them to more than enough quirks of his; they didn't need to learn more.

**XXX**

_Time Skip: 1 month_

I took a deep breath as me and my two companions stood on the hill preceding Pallet Town. The town itself was visible in all its peaceful glory today. A moderately large number of one and two storied houses, with a single multi storied building serving as the city's mall. Visible even from such a great distance was Pallet Town's greatest landmark, Professor Samuel Oak's lab.

"A wonderful mixture of peace and quiet, you town makes up for a unique flavour indeed Ash!" Cilan couldn't help but pour his heart out at the seeing the beautiful town, untouched by the pollution ridden machinery from larger cities, and unharmed from major gangs due to Professor Oak's and a great number of seasoned trainer's presence.

I smiled at Cilan's odd explanation. I had gotten rather used to his eccentric speeches and behaviour, it was all a part of his profession. Being a sommelier was not an easy job, and to see Cilan's passion for it made my heart glow-

Dammit now I am talking like him too!

Our little detour through the Decolora Islands turned out to be anything, but. Between foiling Team Plasma's plans, changing N's ideals regarding Pokémon trainers, stopping and making friends with Genesect, and meeting a female Mewtwo, our detour turned into another adventure in itself.

And for that matter, I will have to remember to inform Mewtwo, the original one, about another one of its species existing…that is if we ever meet again.

I shook my head as I walked with practised ease towards my home. Since I had already informed Mom about our arrival in Pewter City, there was no chance of her not being at home!

**XXX**

I walked rather embarrassed towards Professor Oak's lab. It turned out neither Mom nor Mr. Mime was present at home. So the only other place I could go to was Oak's lab, which had the added benefit of meeting all of my Pokémon.

But much to my confusion, neither Professor Oak nor Tracie was present in the lab. "Where the heck is everyone?" I was actually getting worried now.

"Did you tell your Mom the correct time of your arrival Ash?" Iris asked with concern.

I furrowed my brows as I tried to remember "I'm pretty sure that I did. Strange thing is that even Brock wasn't present at the Pewter Gym."

Suddenly Pikachu's ears twitched as it jumped off my shoulder. "What's the matter Pikachu?" Cilan asked to the yellow rodent.

Pikachu didn't say anything, muttering a mild 'Pika' it started running towards the direction where the gate separating the lab and the fields was present.

"H-hey Pikachu, wait up!" I shouted as I ran after my renegade Pokémon, Iris and Cilan following close after me.

"Pika PIKACHU!" Pikachu yelled as it jumped on the door, opening it.

"What's the matter Pikachu? Why we-"I was by a loud group chorus.

"SURPRISE!" Came a large muddled voice. I looked with a bright smile as I saw all of my previous travelling companions, bar Max, standing before me, with a huge 'CONGRATULATIONS ASH KETCHUM' poster hanging between two poles present in the field.

"Whoa! How are all you guys here!? I asked in amazement. Last I heard, Dawn was in Hoenn, May in Johto and Brock off to be a Pokémon Doctor. Not to forget Misty had her duties as the Cerulean City Gym Leader.

"Well silly, you didn't expect us to _not_ come to congratulate you, did you?" Dawn asked as she giggled, probably at my gaping fish expression. Dawn started walking towards me. Dawn's outfit was the same as the one she wore during our Sinnoh adventures, just the colour of top was changed from Black to White. But she somehow looked..._different. (1)._ We did our usual Hi-Five, but for some reason her fingers got entwined with my own, which even strangely caused her cheeks to glow red.

"Pip-Piplup!" Piplup exclaimed from its position between Dawn's arms. Piplup was happy to meet again after so many months. After Dawn and her Mom, Ash and Brock were his favourite persons, not to mention his best friend Pikachu!

"Congratulations at winning the league Ash! You really deserved to win." May said with a genuine smile as she started moving towards me. May's outfit was also similar to the one she wore during the time we met in Sinnoh for the Wallace cup, but the colour scheme was green instead of orange. But I couldn't help but notice the same strange ...differences in her like Dawn.(2)

"Yeah Ash, you finally achieved the first part of your dream Ash. We are all very happy for you!" Brock said with a proud smile as he looked towards his younger brother in all but blood.

"You certainly have come a long way from the little kid I caught on my fishing pole 6 years ago, Ash" Misty joked as she came near me. Misty's outfit had not changed much since the time I met her in Hoenn, but she had grown taller and somehow looked different, just like May and Dawn.(3)

"Well then I must be your greatest catch yet Misty!" I said with a grin, but much to my confusion she didn't grin back or even get angry. Rather, her cheeks too glowed red just like Dawn's.

"Well, who are the two people behind you Ash?" May asked curiously as she looked at Iris and Cilan.

"Huh-wha-Oh yeah, guys meet Iris and Cilan. They were my travelling partners throughout my Unova Adventures!" I said as Iris and Cilan moved forwards to meet up with my older companions.

I however had a question to ask to May "Hey May, where's Max?" I asked.

"Max has already left on his Pokémon journey Ash." She replied.

"Wow! Really? What did he choose as his starter?" I asked with excitement.

May giggled at seeing Ash so excited, it was just so _Ash-_ish "He chose Treecko, they are already quite a team you know. He said that it was after seeing your Sceptile that he decided on Treecko." May explained.

Ash smiled at that. Sceptile is indeed one of his strongest Pokémon, not to mention fastest. But then a sudden thought came to his mind. "But then what about Ralts?"

"He is planning to take him once he meets him on his journey."

"And what about you May?" I asked one of my best friends who I was seeing after a couple of years.

"I've been fine. You know, the usual, competing in Contests, defeating Harley and Drew." She said in a casual tone of voice.

I chuckled "I'm sure May. You're one of the best co-ordinator I have ever met." I said in a genuine tone.

May suddenly grew sad at that. "But that wasn't enough for me to win the Grand Festival." She said as she bitterly remembered her semi-final finish.

"No need to worry, May." I said, taking a page out of my bluenette friend "You should be really proud of your achievements; I wasn't able to reach the top four until fifth year of my journey! You are much more talented than 90% of the people I have met May, both you and Dawn." I said as I put a hand on May's shoulder, making her turn red for some reason.

"T-Thanks Ash." May said as she smiled at Ash. Truth be told, she really missed Ash, Brock and Max's constant support while in Johto. The worst thing was that Ash wasn't there to cheer her up when Harley constantly tried to put her down, and that really affected her performance many times. But she also knew that she had to get used to such things if she really wanted to achieve something big. Being dependent on others will never allow her to reach her true potential.

True, Drew was there for her many times, and even supported her on her Contests.

But that didn't mean that she didn't miss them… and _him._

**XXX**

"So you're the new girl who travelled with Ash." Misty said as she looked at the purple haired girl.

"Hello, I'm Misty Waterflower, the Cerulean City gym leader. I travelled with Ash during his Kanto, Johto and Orange Island journeys." Misty said with a smile as she introduced herself to the long haired dark skinned girl.

"We've already met, but for the sake of formality, I'm Dawn and I travelled with Ash on his Sinnoh Journeys!" Dawn said with a bright smile as she hugged Iris.

"I'm May Maple, nice to meet you! I travelled with Ash during his Hoenn and Kanto Battle Frontier Journeys." May introduced herself as she shook hands with Iris. She had managed to remove the light flush from her face as she had walked back to the girls, not intending to give them the wrong idea.

"Nice to meet you all, I'm Iris, and I travelled with Ash through Unova!" Iris formally introduced herself with a smile.

"Axew Ax!" The three girls were startled as the green dinosaurian Pokémon emerged from Iris's wild hair.

Iris giggled at Axew. "Oh yeah, and this is my partner Axew!" The three girls smiled at the cute little Pokémon as he jumped off Iris to meet up with the Unovan Pokémon of Ash.

"So, how was it travelling with Ash?" Dawn asked. Misty and May were intrigued too.

Iris touched her chin with her finger as she took on a thinking pose. "Well, it was pretty nice. Although we did get into some serious trouble many times."

"Yeah, we can attest to that." Misty said with a knowing smile.

"So, um, what do you think about Ash?" May asked with a tone that immediately made the other two girls pay attention as well.

Iris was confused by the rather sudden question, but answered nonetheless "He is a pretty nice guy, and always helps his friends." Iris said with a smile as she remembered all the times Ash had helped her out. "But he could really be such a kid sometimes, ya know." She added with a sigh. The Cottonee incident and the later on his interaction with those girls really proved her beliefs.

Dawn was confused by this statement of Iris, after travelling with Ash through Sinnoh, she could hardly consider Ash immature. It took a whole lot of courage to face Team Galactic.

May and Misty were of similar minds. May still remembered the time Ash pushed her into the escape capsule selflessly to save her life. That moment was easily the most terrifying one of her life, not only was she scared for her own life, but most of all of Ash's. She had never been more relieved than when she saw Ash emerge from the sea. And later on, the incident with Groudon was fresh in her mind.

"What do you mean by that Iris?" Dawn asked with a confused tone.

Iris sighed as she began to tell the girls about how Ash had perceived the emotions of the Cottonee they met, as well as his obliviousness to the girls' true motives. By the end the trio didn't know whether to laugh or hand their heads in despair at the level of naïveté their friend (?) showed.

As Iris noted the rather obvious show of emotions on the girls' faces, a glint entered her eyes. As Dawn and Misty took their leave to meet with Cilan and Ash, she looked at May with a devious smile, who sweated nervously.

"Uhm, W-What's the matter Iris?" May asked rather nervously at seeing the expression on her new friend's face.

"So that's why you asked me that question, huh May." Iris said as she raised her eyebrows in a knowing manner.

"W-What?"

"So you like him huh?" Iris asked in a rather normal tone.

"H-HUH?!" May was shocked at the bluntness of the purple haired girl.

"You like him, that's why you asked me about how I felt about Ash." She said as she wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. In any other situation, it might even have been funny.

"N-no! I mean yes, of course I like him, he's my friend!" May exclaimed as she furiously nodded her head.

"Oh come on, don't play shy with me May, I promise I won't tell him." Iris said as she put her hand on May's shoulder to placate the older girl who had turned red by this point.

"W-Well, I-I might like him a _little _bit." May said as she poked her fingers shyly. She didn't even think about how a girl she had just met made her say one of her biggest secrets. The fact of the matter was that no one had ever asked her about her feeling about Ash so bluntly before, so it was not as if she had a ton of practise denying it.

Iris smiled at May with a smile too genuine to be real. "See, that wasn't so hard, was it? But what are you going to do about the other two?" Iris asked as a small frown appeared on May's face.

"What other two?" May asked.

"Well, you know, Dawn and Misty." Iris said in a whispering tone as she pointed towards the two girls chatting animatedly with Ash, who had just been mauled by his various Pokémon.

May was rather stunned by the revelation. "They like Ash too!?"

Iris shook her head in exasperation, were all of Ash's friends, except her, little kids?

**XXX**

"So you're Cilan huh. Nice to meet the guy who took over my job to feeding the bottomless pit known as Ash's stomach!" Brock said good naturedly as he shook hands with the green haired sommelier.

"And I'm Tracy, I travelled with Ash during the time we visited the Orange Islands. Tracy said as he smiled at Cilan.

Cilan smiled "It's nice to meet you two too. Ash talked a lot of times about how he could never choose between mine and your cooking." Cilan added with a laugh.

"That's Ash for you, Pokémon and Food, the two main things in his life!"

**XXX**

I stood alone on a bare patch of earth. It was as if even the grass knew not to grow in such a potentially dangerous place. Pikachu had already jumped off my shoulder and was standing a safe distance away, even he didn't have the courage to face the danger I was acing right now.

The yearly _affectionate _**mobbing** of me by my ever growing number of Pokémon.

Bayleef, Quilava, Totodile, Kingler, Bulbasaur and just about each and every one of my Pokémon nuzzled me. I was lucky that Snorlax was lazy enough to stay a safe distance back. But all of 30 Tauros were unfortunately full of energy and thus didn't hold back.

"Alright! Alright! Cut it out guys!" I yelled in vain as my Pokémon kept hugging me to their hearts content, Bayleef and Muk being the most emotional ones.

Finally happy, my Pokémon let go of me as they stood in a large circle surrounding me. It was a tradition we had developed since Hoenn, each year I would introduce my newly caught Pokémon to the older ones.

Suddenly a _relatively_ harmless Flamethrower hit me in the face, singing my upper clothes and hair.

Wait a minute. A Flamethrower? Infernape, Quilava and Torkoal never hit me, so it could only be-

"Charizard!" I yelled happily as I turned around to hug my first Fire Type. I had sent back Charizard after a couple of weeks since I had wanted to spent more time with Garchomp. I had expected Charizard to return to Charicific valley, so it was a pleasant surprise to me to see Charizard was still here with his older friends.

"Chaaa." The normally brutal Charizard nuzzled his trainer happily. Ash was the one and only person Charizard ever allowed to touch him like this. Not even Liza had this privilege. He could probably allow Brock and Misty, but only because Brock made such good food and Misty, well, because she could get absolutely bat-shit crazy if denied something she really wants.

Yeah, even Charizard knew better than to anger Misty. Facing a Hyper Beam happy Tyranitar was a better option for him.

"We've got some new friends guys, so I want you all to welcome them into our family and make friends with them, OK?" I asked my Pokémon as they enthusiastically yelled their names in response.

Ash didn't know it, but whenever his Pokémon heard him call them his _family_, it warmed their hearts immensely.

I threw the 5 Pokeballs that were present on my belt. "Dewott, Pignite, Leavanny, Krookodile, Garchomp, come on out!" The five figures of varying sizes materialized from their respective Pokeballs.

"Snivy, Unfezant, Scraggy, Palpitoad and Boldore, come and join your friends." I ordered as the five Pokémon duly came and stood in a line with their friends. Garchomp got the gist of what was happening as he left the group to go stand with the Sinnoh Pokémon.

I watched with happiness as Buizel sized up Dewott, who did the same. No doubt both of them sensing each other's competitive nature and love for battling. Pignite and Infernape fist bumped, both of them happy to get a perfect sparring partner, seeing as both of them had dual Fire/Fighting Typing. Leavanny and Snivy joined my other grass types, Snivy already familiar with them and Leavanny quickly making herself a favourite due to her nature of making cool Poke-clothes.

Boldore and Krookodile stalked off somewhere, neither of them particularly eager to make friends. I hoped that would change soon. Unfezant also rejoined her previous place on the tree where his other flying types rested.

Pikachu himself had gathered a large group of Pokémon including those of Dawn, May and Misty. It was something Pikachu did every year. He made the entire Pokémon available gather in a group and recount to them the various adventures and Legendaries they came across while travelling in the new region. Most of the Pokémon were in disbelief when Pikachu said that Cilan's food was almost as good as Brock's. They hadn't thought such a thing to be possible!

Scraggy however stayed by my side. I saw that a few tears were leaking down its face. I knelt down to its level. "Hey Buddy." I greeted him gently.

Scraggy didn't reply, it merely jumped at me with all its strength and hugged me tight. "What's the matter Scraggy, don't you wanna make new friends?" I asked Scraggy. Frankly I was getting scared by his behaviour. Was he sick?

Thankfully my worries were put to rest as a voice I knew from a long time spoke up. "It's because Scraggy recognises you as his parent Ash."

"But how come, Professor Oak?" I asked, confused.

"Since it was you who Scraggy saw first after hatching, and you again who raised him, Scraggy naturally sees you as his parent." Professor Oak said, going in his Professor mode.

"But then why was he crying?" I asked the second question which was bugging me the most.

"You left him for many days in my ranch Ash, naturally Scraggy must have missed you a lot."

"I see." I muttered as a wave of guilt passed over me. I hugged my shaking Pokémon tighter, which almost immediately made him happy.

"I am so sorry buddy." I apologised to Scraggy, who by now had passed the stage of raging emotions and was now blushing in embarrassment over its overemotional display.

"Scraggy Scrag." Which basically translated into '_It's alright father.'_

Unfortunately, me and my Pokémon were caught during our bonding time by two of my best _girl _friends.

"Aww...How cute!" Dawn gushed over me and Scraggy while Misty looked impressed.

"You really take good care of your Pokémon Ash." She commented.

I smiled back as Scraggy motioned for me to put him down. Almost immediately he ran away, his face a deep scarlet over being seen by so many people. He was the hoodlum Pokémon dammit!

"So how've you two been Dawn, Mist?" I asked my two friends as I motioned for them to sit beside me.

"_Fine_**!"** Both said almost simultaneously, which made all of us chuckle. "And what about you Ash? Knowing you, you must have gotten into some serious crime fighting in Unova too," Dawn lightly teased as she sat on my right. Misty didn't even wait to hear the answer, it was so predictable. She took the seat on my right.

I grinned. "You got that right Dawn, there was this crazy team called Team Plasma, and it's even crazier leader Ghetsis! Their goal, which seemed somewhat nice at first, was Pokémon Liberation..." By the time I finished my story, both of the girls were in disbelief that any organisation could even dream of something as radical as Pokémon Liberation. More than 95% of the trainers treated their Pokémon with love and respect. The few who abused their Pokémon were mostly caught and spent _long _terms in jail. But unfortunately few got away, giving bad name to the masses.

Pokémon were naturally inclined for battle. Being captured by trainers provided them a safe environment for such and also timely nutritious food. Each Pokémon also dreamed of being the strongest of its kind, which was never possible while remaining in the wild. Also, Pokémon battles extremely rarely resulted in death of battling Pokémon, while territorial battles had a much higher mortality rate. It also helped create an unprecedented bond between the sentient creatures and human beings.

"But you must admit Ash, as horrible as Team Plasma was, they didn't match up to Team Galactic. I mean they literally tried to erase our universe and create a new one!" Dawn said in a matter of fact tone as Misty's jaw dropped.

"Are you serious Dawn?" She asked in an incredulous tone to my bluenette friend. Me an d dawn proceeded to tell Misty about the events with the Lake Trio and the Red Chain. Misty listened with horrified fascination as a shiver made up her spine at the thought of Glactic's Plans actually coming true!

"There's no saying what they could have achieved with Dialga and Palkia under their control." I said seriously "Remember, Alamos Town Dawn?" I asked to the girl on my right.

"That was a scary experience alright." She said as a dry chuckle escaped her throat.

"I thought that I would die Dawn, but you really saved my life back there." I said as I remembered the particular incidence where I was nearly blown off due to the intensity of Dialga and Palkia's attacks.

She blushed a bit at the memory, where she held Ash's hands and he held her own. Truth be told, she had never been more scared in her life than at that particular moment. Meeting the Pokémon who were known to create the very universe, along with Arceus himself, was something she won't forget, ever.

Suddenly Dawn's eyes went on Buizel, who was staring back at her. It was then that I remembered that Buizel used to be Dawn's Pokémon before I exchanged Ambipom for it. "Go and meet him Dawn. Buizel must be very happy seeing you after such a long time."

Dawn happily nodded and went to greet her former Pokémon, who jumped into her arms with affection. This left me and Misty sitting quietly together. I decided to indulge her into a question as well. "So how are things at the gym Mist?"

"Truth be told Ash, after hearing about your adventures in Unova and Sinnoh, my life at the gym feels extremely boring. I really miss the days I spent travelling with you, Brock and Pikachu, nothing could compare with that." She said with a sad smile and took a moment to curse her sister for leaving her burdened with their responsibilities, even though she actually liked the gym.

I frowned at seeing the sad expression on Misty's face. I took one of her hands into my own, eliciting a startled gasp from her. "You know you could travel with me anytime Misty." I said genuinely as I looked into her eyes. I had read somewhere that saying something good while looking into the other person's eyes makes them believe it.

But it had another effect on Misty. Her face flushed red at the closeness between her and Ash's face, intensified by the fact that Ash was holding her hand. "I-I ah-Thank you Ash." She said back with a light stutter as she diverted her gaze.

I smiled at hearing those words. But a sudden cough caught both mine and Misty's attention. I turned to see my oldest and fiercest rival, but now friend, Gary Oak. He was looking at us with an amused smile, which immediately made Misty retract her hands from mine and take her leave as I watched on in confusion.

"You work fast Ashy Boy." Gary said with a knowing grin. He had arrived way back and had been observing the various girls interaction with Ash, as well as eavesdropping on Iris's and May's talk. He didn't have a particular reason to do so, it just felt as the fun thing to do at the time.

"Work fast? What?" I asked in confusion. This only made Gary shake his head. Dammit I hate it when people treat me like an Idiot!

"Leave it Ashy Boy. And by the way congratulations at winning the league Ash." Gary said with a smirk as he extended his hand, which I shook strongly. "Thanks Gary, it wasn't easy I can tell you that."

"I know, I saw your match." Gary said casually.

"What!? You did?" I asked incredulously. By that point on we endlessly discussed my various strategies during the battle. It was as if me and Gary were kids again. Discussing the various fine points of the battle we saw on Television those days was our favourite past time. Now that Gary was a researcher, his knowledge of Pokémon far surpassed mine, so it was mostly him who gave reviews on my 6vs6 against Virgil.

"So how's your research coming along Gary?" I asked as a way of diverting Gary from a particularly scathing speech about how I shouldn't have continued Leavanny against Flareon.

This had the intended effect as Gary's trademark smirk returned. "You wouldn't believe it Ashy Boy, but I and my fellow researchers have made a great breakthrough into the technology involved in reviving fossil Pokémon." Gary was rather confused at seeing the terrified expression on Ash's face. "What's the matter Ash?"

"Don't get me wrong Gary, but I think that fossil Pokémon should be left to Rest in Peace." I said with seriousness. Genesect were crazy strong Pokémon, and with the additional enhancements done to them even more. And although I had made friends with them after the misunderstanding was over, it would have been best if they had never been revived.

"You're being vague Ashy Boy, tell me what happened." Gary almost demanded. Gary had heard of the various adventures Ash fell into with Legendary Pokémon, and it was safe to say that Gary was _very_ jealous.

"Do you know anything about a Pokémon called Genesect?"

**XXX**

Gary stood dumbfounded at the newfound knowledge that Genesect, a Pokémon extinct from millions of years, was not only alive, but a whole group was so.

"Ash, I know that this has been said many times before, but your idiocy is perhaps unrivalled by anyone, Pokémon or Human." Gary said with utmost seriousness as he sympathetically clapped his hands on Ash's shoulder.

"What! Why?" I was shocked by the sudden insult from Gary. Hadn't we put this behind us?

"Look back at your adventures Ash; you've seen almost every legendary Pokémon known of. If that isn't something extraordinary then I don't know what it. Do you even know how much you could contribute in the scientific society if you share your knowledge with the Grandpa, or even me!? You could help solve so many mysteries Ash. Heck, probably the only legendary you might have not seen is Arceus!" Gary added with a laugh in the end. But the laugh started dying down when he looked at Ash, who was sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.

"Well, actually." I started.

"God fucking dammit." Gary rubbed his forehead at the godly luck of Ash.

**XXX**

Gary was almost in a coma by the time I finished retelling my experience at Alamos, then with Giratina and the reverse world and finally the one where Arceus woke up and almost destroyed the world in its rage.

"Why?" He asked in a whisper.

"Why what?" I asked in confusion. Why was Gary acting so oddly anyways?

"Why didn't you tell anyone about this?" He added another whisper.

"Is it really that important?" I asked as a frown made its way to my face.

Gary twitched. Most Professors he knew would sell their left nut to meet and befriend half as amny Legendaries as Ash had met. And this moron was asking him _is it important_?

Gary didn't say anything, he just broke down into sobs and dragged Ash's ass to Professor Oak's lab.

**XXX**

_1 hour later_

I twitched from the place on the couch. Both Professor Oak and Gary were frothing from their mouths as they lay unconscious on the ground. First of all Gary had forced me to tell Professor Oak about my Sinnoh adventures. While they started writing crazily on a notepad, Gary urged me to tell about my every experience with Legendary Pokémon, which I gladly retold. Well except Mewtwo, I wouldn't break my promise to him to keep his existence a secret.

Both of the Oak's eyes had kept on widening as I continued telling them about my experiences, at one point Professor Oak had snatched my Pokedex from me and plugged it into a computer, after which their breathing had also gotten heavier. By the time I finished recounting my meeting with Zekrom, Reshiram and Victini; Gary had already passed out, with professor Oak following soon after learning about Genesect.

I sighed as I leant back into the couch I was sitting on. Since all of my Pokémon were out in the fields, I had to wait for the normal amount of time it could take Gary and Professor Oak to wake up from their temporary coma. I looked around the room which I had seen countless amount of times since my childhood.

My mother, Delia Ketchum, had been a student of Professor Oak in her childhood and teenage years. Thus it was with no surprise that I was a frequent visitor to his lab in my younger days and first developed my love for Pokémon. Professor Oak's Dragonite was my absolute favourite at that time. Although his Charizard always looked as if he knew me already, which was quite strange.(4) It was also here that I first met Gary. The room had changed a lot in the last 10 years. A lot of new charts and updated models depicting various scientific mumbo-jumbo were newly established in the room. But my eyes felt on an official looking brochure kept on the table. As I picked it up, my eyes widened at seeing to whom it was addressed to, as well as a Pokémon League Letter falling out of it.

I opened up the letter, which was also addressed to me, and started reading through it. By the time I finished reading my mind was in a similar state as both the Oaks.

"_Dear Mr. Ash Ketchum,_

_We sincerely hope that this letter reaches to you as fast as possible. The matter is about your victory in the Vertress conference. As you might have expected, you do indeed have the chance to challenge the Elite Four and potentially the champion, Alder._

_But since the decennial Pokémon Champion's league is also coming up in one year, we have after much deliberation decided to postpone your challenge for after the Champion's League. That is of course if you still wish to take part in it at that time. Rest assured, your fellow league victors have also been sent the same letter which you are receiving now. We are very sorry, but this is __**not **__negotiable._

_We also wish for you to take a look at the brochure we have sent with this letter. Such a brochure is also being sent to every Pokémon trainer registered in our official Database till date. The reason for this will become clearer if you take the time to carefully read the brochure._

_Additionally, if you manage to make it to the stages where you can challenge the Elite Four and Champions, any victory over a Unovan Elite Four will be taken into consideration. _

_We of the Pokémon League, thank you for your co-operation._

_John Dale, Managing Director,  
Pokémon League"_

I was in shock over the sudden turn of events. Here I was, totally ready to spend my two month at Pallet Town, training for my Elite Four Challenge, and now they are saying its Postponed? And not only me, every other league victor of this year?

What the frig?

I furiously reached for the brochure to make any sense of the situation I was in. Nothing could have really prepared me for what I was about to read next.

"_Greetings Pokémon Trainers, Co-ordinators, and Gym Leaders!_

_As you all may or may not know, the Pokémon Champion's League is an event taking place every 10 years to see just who is the best trainer in the whole wide world. Till now, 2 Pokémon Champion's League's have taken place, both closed affairs and with much restriction._

_The minimum requirement for the Champion's League before was for a trainer to have reached top four in a regional league, as well as top 8 in two more. Also the trainer was required to have at least 32 badges, showing participation in 4 regional leagues._

_But no more! Under the new management taking charge over the Pokémon League, it has been decreed that any Pokémon Trainer with experience of 1 second to 1 Century can take part in the Pokémon Champion's League! In the tournament, no one is a Gm Leader, Newbie or a Elite. All are Pokémon Trainers, and thus will compete at an equal level._

_The only ones excused are the Elite Four and the Champions. This has been done to even out the playing field in the lower levels of the battles. The details are given at the end._

_Many of you might be confused over how such a large event could take place and not take more than year._

_The answer is that the Pokémon Champion's League will take place in two levels._

_1. The first level is the one where Gym Leaders, Trainers and Co-ordinators will battle it out in various modes of battles ranging from 2 vs2 to full 6vs6. The preliminary stage will be the one where knockout battles will take place over a course of 5 days, after which trainers will be randomly divided into groups of 6. From each group two people will qualify for the following rounds, in which the Gym leaders will be entering. The knockout battles with the Gym leaders will finally determine the Trainers, Co-ordinators and Gym leaders reaching the second level._

This level will be known as the Pokémon World Tournament.

_2. The second level will be the one where the select Trainer will be drawn against the Elite four and Champions. This also means that there might be potential battles between the Elite Four and Champions themselves even in the first round of second level! The final victor of the second level will be the one to have his/her name forever written in the echelons of history and truly considered the Pokémon Master of the world._

This level will be known as the Elite Battlers Conference.

_We sincerely hope that all of the Pokémon Trainers reading this come to take part in the once in a lifetime event._

_Thank you._

My hands shook as I tried to fully grasp what I was reading. Fuck the Elite Four; here I have a chance to take on the Champions League, something happening once a decade. Here I really had the chance of emblazoning my name in the history books. Here I have the chance to actually become a _Pokémon Master._

_*Thump*_

Ash's 16 year old mind couldn't really take all this information, and he, just like Gary and Professor Oak, fainted. But unfortunately, as he fell from his seat, he didn't touch the ground rather he fell on something much softer.

**XXX**

Dawn looked around the lab for any sign of Ash, Gary or Professor Oak. The trio were missing for quite a while now and Ms. Ketchum had sent her to look for them

'_Just where are you Ashy.'_ She thought, but it was just a split second later that it dawned (5) on her mind what she had called Ash. '_Oh my god! Even I am thinking like Mom now, ugh dammit. And Ashy is way too corny of a name anyw-AAH WHAT AM I THINKING!'_ Dawn shook her head to get rid of the thoughts as she knocked on the door to Professor Oak's study.

"Ash? Are you in there?" She asked softly, but received no response.

She was about to move to other rooms, but suddenly she noticed that Ash's sneakers along with two other pairs of shoes were opened outside the room. She opened the door and took a peek inside, only to rush in when she saw Professor Oak fallen on the floor.

"Oh no! Professor, are you all right?" She asked as she shook the unconscious Professor. Her worry increasing she moved forward to look for Ash and Gary only to freeze in her steps when her eyes fell on the scene.

"Okay I will close my eyes, count to ten and all this will turn out to be an illusion." She confidently said to herself as she did the safe.

When her eyes opened again, the horrible scene in front of her hadn't changed for one bit. Gary was lying on the floor, with Ash lying over him. But the thing which nearly caused Dawn's mind to shut down was that Ash's mouth was on Ga-

"T-This...T-This can't be real. No. NO! NOooooooooooooooo!" Dawn gave a last girly shriek as she fell face down, unable to see the atrociousness of _her_ crush doing something like this.

**XXX**

_**TBC**_

**A/N: **Here it is guys! The second chapter. I hope that you all enjoyed it. If not, please give me a review telling me what exactly it was that I did wrong. Because in all seriousness friends, I can't really know what I am doing wrong until someone points it out to me.

And how did you like it, PearlShipping, AdvanceShipping, PokeShipping and, much to my own disgust PalletShipping, all in one chapter! However I wish to make it very clear _right now_ that there will be no YAOI scenes in my story. It will always be used for at the most, Comic relief.

(1)(2)(3)- Our long time friend Ash Ketchum is finally noticing the maturing bodies of his long time female friends.

(4)- Yeah, the Charmeleon from the Celebi Movie.

(5)- No pun intended!


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Guys, I'll be addressing a issue which was brought to my notice. A guy PM'ed me about OC's. Now let me make my stance very clear on them, as long as an OC is done nicely, its fine with me. But in the Pokémon Universe, where so, SO many characters are lying around useless and just...begging to be re-introduced; it's just a waste of imagination to use OC's.** But that's not to say that I won't ever use them,** if any of you have some good ideas for any OC you want me to introduce, just review or message me, I will consider adding them to the plot in a sensible way.

Also whenever I start using First Person, it means **ASH POV.** Using first person while writing about the main character allows me to delve deeper into his psyche. It also makes for much more interesting thoughts and conversations. But if for some reason most of you don't like it, I will change back.

At any other point, I will be using Third Person speech only. Especially in Battles.

**XXX**

Since it was almost night time by now, the group were discussing sleeping arrangements. Since Professor Oak's Lab didn't have any guest rooms, the large group were forced to sleep in a very cramped house of Mrs. Ketchum. After much deliberation, and whining from Ash, the arrangements were finally agreed upon by everyone.

Brock and Ash were settled in the lone guest room of the house. Ash's mother slept in her own room while Pikachu, Piplup and Axew stayed outside in the ranch, wanting to catch up on their friends. Gary was still in the lab, where he and Professor Oak were hurriedly examining all of the data Ash had given them, it was unlikely that they would even get a wink of sleep this night.

Finally, the girls were all grouped together in Ash's room, much to their pleasure.

_Ash's room_

May, Misty, Dawn and Iris looked appreciatively around Ash's room. It was surprisingly clean for a boy's room, which could probably be because Ash didn't really stay in his room for much long between his various journeys. The girls were dressed up in their respective night wears. Dawn's hair was in a Pony tail, with May, Misty and Iris in their usual hairstyles.

"Wow, Ash's room is neater than I had thought." Iris said, as the statement drew a snort from Misty. She had decided to sleep in the room for once, since she didn't want her new friends to immediately think she was a weirdo by sleeping in a tree. Once they got to know each other well, she could get back in her comfort zone. Also she had rather..._interesting_ conversations to make.

"Don't get too excited Iris, its Mrs. Ketchum who keeps the room clean. If it were up to Ash, the room would have been metres deep in dust." Even though the statement was a bit exaggerated, it wasn't completely wrong since Ash rarely paid attention to things like Hygiene. Delia, being the doting mother that she is, had always taken care of such things for Ash. It was safe to say that Ash had been much spoiled in such matters and was very luck Brock had decided to go with him.

May looked around the room. The only decorations present were posters of Pokémon battles and video games. She also noted with a warm smile that Ash kept framed pictures from every year of his journey. There was a picture of her, Max, Brock and him of the time they had journeyed through Kanto for Ash's Battle Frontier. "Not much decoration, that's for sure." May's mother and she herself spent much time on such stuff, so it was natural she would think like this. The walls were painted in a pale yellow colour and only the posters filled some of the void.

But the thing which gained every girls' attention was the large Trophy cabinet; proudly displaying Ash's multitude of achievements over the years. It was things like these that really showed the girls that Ash was indeed a very accomplished and veteran trainer; at least relatively.

The Trophy cabinet didn't just show the smaller cups of the major leagues; The Kanto Battle Frontier symbols, the Orange League trophy, the 40 Gym Badges and the various smaller cups and certificates from minor competitions.

"From the Pokémon posters and Voltorb alarm clock, it's pretty clear what Ash's first love was." Misty said with a giggle. '_Probably only love'_ She depressingly thought in her mind, but didn't say it out loud. She did notice that Ash's room had a rather large window, perfect for viewing the beautiful scenery of Professor Oak's Pokémon fields.

A sudden squeal from Dawn gained everyone's attention. "Guys! Come and look at these!" She yelled as she motioned to the confused girls.

All of their eyes widened when they reached the place Dawn was pointing to. It was a rather old box, which had no lock. However, the thing which surprised them was the content of the Box.

Inside it were numerous Pokémon plushies and Action Figures.

"How cute!" May gushed over the various soft toys Ash played with in his childhood.

"Hmph, such a kid." Iris said in her usual manner, although there was a small smile on her face.

As the girls checked out the various soft toys, a particular picture gained Misty's attention, who immediately pointed it out to the girls. "Look at this picture guys."

The picture in itself was very old. Ash looked about 6 years old in the picture, with is face looking almost the same as now, only a lot chubbier. Ash was standing in his usual victory pose, with his army of soft toy Pokémon behind him in various strategic positions. It was scene which could immediately make a girl squeal over its cuteness, as well as a guy gag, as well as say 'Pussy'.

"Ash looks so cute in this picture!" Dawn exclaimed without thinking what she was saying.

"Yeah! Just look at the little Z's on his cheek!" May smiled warmly at the picture.

"He hasn't really changed a lot from back then." Misty said, looking fondly at the chibi-Ash

A sudden evil sounding chuckle made the three girls turn their heads towards Iris. "Ku-Ku, you would really think that wouldn't you." She said with a knowing glint in her eyes.

May's face immediately reddened, remembering the conversation with Iris from before. "W-What are you talking about Iris?" She asked with a nervous chuckle.

"Tch Tch, don't play coy with me May, you know what I'm saying." She waved her finger dismissively.

"Huh? What's this about May?" Dawn asked in confusion. Had something happened between iris and May?

"Yeah May, what is Iris talking about?" Misty was confused too.

"NO! ITS NOTHING!" May waved her hands wildly in the air.

Misty turned to Iris "Okay, now I'm really interested. What's the matter?"

May crossed in her arms the 'NO' position as she looked at Iris, who was in deep thought whether to tell the other two or not.

"Oh come on May, they will know one way or the other, best you tell them now." Iris said. Truth was that she was afraid she won't be able to keep it a secret for much longer, hence it would be better if May allowed her herself.

May thought for a while before she gulped and nodded.

"May likes Ash."

"_**WHAT!?" **_Two very large voices came from the two girls as they looked at May with stunned eyes.

May put her face into her palms. She was so embarrassed! Oh why did she allow Iris to say so.

"Is it true May?" Dawn asked, her voice just above a whisper.

May just nodded her head, not even removing her face from her palms. The light blush she had was now spread through her neck.

"But I thought you liked that Green haired guy?" Misty asked in confusion.

"WHAT! Don't be ridiculous Misty, I don't even like him much as a friend!" May shouted incredulously, although the statement about her and Drew not being good friends was false.

Dawn couldn't believe it. Even May liked Ash? It was not as if she could blame her, Ash had a really magnetic, if dense, personality. That was why she had fallen for him after all.

"Why are you so worried Dawn? Could it be..." Iris drawled out as she looked at Dawn suspiciously, who tried to reel in her emotions.

"C-Could be what?" She stuttered.

"Do you like Ash too?" Iris asked, as blunt as she was with May.

Dawn was surprised, but not as much as May, since she had already been asked the question from Laura while they travelled with her and another boy during Sinnoh. And if she could deny it then, she could surely do it now-

"Don't deny it Dawn, Iris will get it out of you, it's no use." May said in a defeated tone as she sat quietly with her face having a light blush, her brown hair in the usual upside down V.

Dawn sighed. What the heck, if anyone had to know, why not her best friends? "Yeah, I-I might have a little c-crush on him." She said, still denying to herself that it was anything more than that. Dawn cursed Iris in her mind. Till now she had been able to deny it to herself that she liked Ash, but now, she won't be able to look at Ash in the same light ever again!

"Oh and what about you Misty?" Iris said as all the three girl's attention turned to the red head sitting quietly, who was sweating nervously by now.

"W-What a-about me?"

"Well, you know?" This time it was May who asked.

"D-Do you?" Dawn continued the question, almost fearing the answer.

Misty looked at the faces of the other girls. She had truly never imagined that such a situation could ever arise. All three of them were shy enough to not talk about such things, but it the arrival of Iris changed it all. Damn that nitpicking girl!

"Yeah." She finally said with a grumble.

**XXX**

Unknown to the four girls, a certain dark skinned, squinty eyed, former Gym Leader turned Pokémon Doctor was crying waterfall tears as he stood eavesdropping near the door to Ash's room.

Since the only other toilet in the Ash's house was near his room on the first floor and not connected to the guest room, Brock had to walk up the stairs to answer the call of nature.

Imagine his surprise when he hears the various girls he had travelled and considered as his siblings discussing about their feelings about Ash of all people! '_I've never been prouder of you Ash!'_Brock exclaimed in his mind as Ash immediately gained 100 man points in his book.

**XXX**

_Ash POV_

I woke up early the next morning. Since Professor Oak and Gary were busy yesterday, I had decided to wait till the next day to ask Professor Oak about the Pokémon Champions League. I had discussed about that with my other friends, but only Brock had any prior knowledge about it. Misty, May, Dawn and Iris had decided to call their homes today and ask whether a brochure similar to the one I had got was received by them.

As I reached the door of the large Windmill equipped Laboratory, a large squawk gained my attention. I looked with a smile as my fully evolved Sinnoh flying type, Staraptor, descended down to stand in front of me.

"Hey Staraptor, up early?" I asked, to which the bird gave a happy cry of its name. As I waited at the door, I petted Staraptor's head. Even though Staraptor wasn't my biggest flying type, it was in moments like this that I could truly see the size and build of my Pokémon. But even though I KNEW Staraptor had been quite large, he still seemed to be a bit taller than before.

"Say Staraptor, have you been training while I was away?" I asked to the large raptor.

"Star!" Staraptor happily nodded his head. He had indeed been training pretty hard, along with Noctowl and Swellow, while Ash was away. He had even learned a new move!

It was just then that the door of the lab was opened by a person/zombie who I barely recognised as Gary.

"Wazza youz doin' here?" Gary asked in a sleepy voice. His eyes had dark circles beneath them and his hair was wildly spiked out. Even though it was pretty early, Ash didn't understand why Gary was so sleepy right now.

"Um, can I come in?" I asked tentatively. Now that Gary actually talked, thought of him turning into a Zombie and eating him eating my brain stopped. Staraptor had already escaped from the place, creeped out by Gary's appearance.

Gary's sleep deprived mind took one complete minute to process Ash's question, while Ash awkwardly stared at Gary's face. "Sure." He finally answered.

As I got inside the lab, my eyes widened at the stacks and stacks of research notes and books strewn about. For as long as I had known, Professor Oak had been a cleanliness freak. Had Swellow got inside and used Hurricane? Or was it a wild Pidgey using Gust?

"What the heck happened her Gary?" I asked to my friend who I looked had stopped walking. Gary didn't answer, so I tapped his shoulder "I asked, what happened here Gary?" I asked a bit louder as I shaked him.

When he still didn't respond, I got irritated. "I'm talking to you Ga-WOAH!" I exclaimed as I caught Gary, who was falling forwards. When I heard snoring, I sweatdropped to see that Gary had somehow fallen asleep while walking. For some reason, he reminded me of someone I had met a long time before, but couldn't remember.

I let Gary fall to the floor, where he woke up with a start after his head hit the ground with a _Thunk_. "WH-WHAT! ARECUS, GIRATINA, PARTICLETHEORY, SPACETIMEBRIDGE, MOLTRESSE'S FIRE, _**FUCK ME!" **_He started screeching non-sense that is until his eyes laid on me.

"Oh, it's you Ash. What can I do for you?" He asked in a rather nonchalant manner, as if he just wasn't sprouting non sense.

I was rather scared by Gary's multiple personalities, so I decided to wait for a few more seconds, lest Gary go into another epileptic attack. "I was here to talk to Professor Oak about the Pokémon Champion's League."

Gary yawned once again as he pointed he to the door separating the lab and the field. "Me and Gramps were up for quite a while yesterday Ash. Go and meet up with your Pokémon, I doubt Grandpa would wake up any earlier than a couple hours at least. And even I need to get more sleep. The multiple dimension theory really shook up yesterday..."

I tuned the last part out as I walked towards the door. It was for the best, I thought, this way I will get the chance to get some early morning training with my Pokémon.

As I reached the grounds, I was happy to see most of my Pokémon up and about. Dawn, May, Misty, Iris and Cilan's Pokémon were still lazing around, much to my trainer's pride. But I did notice May's Blaziken in a conversation with my Sceptile. Only Axew and Scraggy looked to be asleep, not surprising since they were the youngest Pokémon among the entire group. Garchomp, Dragonite and Charizard were flying on low altitudes, probably enjoying the fresh morning winds. I was just happy that they had not picked up any fights among themselves. But unlike their counter parts, my pure Flying Type Pokémon were comfortably perched up in various tress, with Gliscor on Torterra's back. Misty's large Gyrados was absent, probably in the Gym.

I whistled twice to get the attention of the Pokémon who were awake. All of my Pokémon rushed towards me, along with May's Blaziken, Iris's Dragonite and Dawn's Piplup.

"Hey guys!" I greeted my Pokémon as Pikachu made his way up on my shoulder. "Blaziken." I nodded to the fully evolved Hoenn Starter, who I knew since she was a little Torchic. "Piplup."

Blaziken happily smiled at Ash. It had been a long time since she had met Ash, so she was happy to see him. Piplup had already met him yesterday, so he was a bit subdued, but waved back nonetheless. Garchomp's presence wasn't helping things. Even though Piplup and Gible were _somewhat _friends, as a Garchomp, Piplup didn't know what to expect from his once ditzy friend.

"BAYLEEEF!" Suddenly my breath was knocked out as I was affectionately tack-err hugged by Bayleef

"Hey Bayleef" I somehow wheezed out.

Bayleef paid no attention and kept nuzzling her trainer. Her eyes were in a upside down U. Bayleef's attraction to her trainer was perhaps the most among all of his Pokémon. Even among the most affectionate ones like Muk, Gliscor and Oshawott.

But when Ash's face started turning blue, Bulbasaur thankfully used his vines to pull of Bayleef.

I raised a weak thumbs-up towards Bulbasaur as I petted Bayleef from a much better position. "Thanks Buddy." I then looked towards my vast and varied group of Pokémon, all of them looking at me expectantly.

"So, have you all been training while I was away?" I asked to the group. While most proudly nodded their heads, I did notice a few looking sheepish. Most prominently Totodile. I frowned to myself as I last remembered the time I used the little guy. As well as Kingler and Snorlax. It had been ages since I last used Kingler in battle. '_I just hope Kingler doesn't hate me. He had wiped out an entire team back in Kanto! I should have used him more.' _

The reactions of my Unova Pokémon had really opened my eyes to how I had neglected some of my other Pokémon in battles. I couldn't help but think whether it would have been different had I used my older Pokémon in Hoenn. I might have atleast reached the semi-finals. Only Sceptile had the real power required for high level battling. None of his Pokémon were trained at levels necessary to win the Ever Grande Conference.

'_Now isn't the time to think such things. If the Pokémon Champion's league is really what I've made it out to be, then I can't rely on luck any more. Each and every one of my Pokémon has to be well prepared for the ridiculous number of battles we would have in both stages. I sure as hell don't want to get knocked out in the first stage.'_

I looked at my Pokémon, and noted with much disappointment in _myself_ to see most of them out of shape and overweight, just like Pikachu had been in the beginning. Being the most energetic among them Totodile should have been the first one to evolve between him, Bayleef and Quilava, but he hadn't till now. And as far as I knew, he didn't have any revulsion towards evolving like Bulbasaur and Pikachu, so why hadn't he then? Was it my fault?

"Alright Guys, I have a very important announcement for all of you. Blaziken, Piplup, Dragonite could you give us a moment." I said seriously as I stood with my arms crossed behind my back. All of the Pokémon turned their attention towards me. Blaziken and Piplup nodded in understanding. Although Ash was their friend, they weren't members of his team, so they didn't need to get involved in team talks. Dragonite merely flew a ways back. Pikachu jumped off my shoulder and stood with the others, in times of team talks like this, no one was above anyone else, and thus even Pikachu had to get off his perch on top of me.

"In a year's time, we are going to participate in the Champion's League. It is a league where we will be facing each and every one of our rivals and friends from the day we started our journey." All of the Pokémon's eyes widened at that. Unseen to all, Garchomp and Sceptile's eyes widened in _excitement_, they hadn't forgotten the utter humiliation they had to face from the legendary user Tobias. Payback would be nice. The Sinnoh Pokémon clenched their fists as they thought of facing Paul again.

"That's not all guys, if we manage to cross Stage one." I took a deep breath as I myself got the grasp of the magnitude of the statement I was about to make "We will have to face the Elite Four and Champions of every region." Almost all of Pokémon paled at this, although Pikachu, Charizard and Sceptile were much more composed, seeing as they had already faced and defeated legendary Pokémon.

Garchomp's eyes had widened the most. Even while he had lived in the wild, Cynthia's Garchomp had been a legendary name among all Gible, Gabites and Garchomps. The thought of facing her incited various feelings in Garchomp, Fear, Nervousness, ...excitement?

I looked at the scared faces of my Pokémon. Now that just wouldn't do, would it?

"Don't you all want to win?" I asked with a frown. All of the Pokémon gave me a startled look at that.

"Don't look at me like that, the way you all are getting scared at the mention of facing Champions, how will we be able to win when we finally face them?" I asked with resolve.

"I have to also confess something to all of you." I started. This was the thing I had wanted to talk to with them from the time I saw the reactions of my Unova Pokémon.

"I have not been a good trainer and friend to any of you." I admitted. But almost immediately all of my Pokémon cried out in denial.

The Pokémon were in shock. What the fuck was Ash talking about? He was the best friend and trainer they could have ever wanted! Heck Donphan and Scraggy had been raised by him!

"I appreciate it that you all support me guys, but in truth I have never fulfilled my role as your Pokémon trainer." Seeing them getting ready to protest, I raised my hands to keep them quiet. "As far as I can remember, most of you have learnt your new moves either trough self-practice or evolution. That is not the mark of a good trainer in any way. I have also been very preferred to Pikachu in all my journeys, leaving you all in the ranch."

All of his Pokémon diverted their views from his. It was true that each and every one of them had felt sadness when their trainer left without them on his new journey, it made them feel weak and unneeded some times. Pikachu could also admit to himself that leaving his friends each year was not something he was overly fond of. Even though he and Ash were the best of friends, there was only so much they could talk about without understanding each other's languages.

I sat down on the soft grass. Looking at the faces of his Pokémon when he mentioned leaving was really downing. "Even though I admit we are not strong enough to face them at this time, I know that we CAN get stronger with time and that we WILL defeat everyone who faces us." I said with resolve. I won't let my Pokémon become a joke in front of someone like Tobias _ever _again.

"And that's why I've decided that all of us will train harder than ever before and get strong enough to even kick the Champion's asses!" I declared as all of my Pokémon roared in agreement. Torkoal launched a big smoke mushroom cloud, Quilava's flames shot up. Sure I exaggerated a lot, but whatever pump's them up!

"To get started I want all of you to work on your stamina." At their confused looks, I continued. "It won't matter if you all know tons of powerful attacks if you crash out after just one of them. And so if you increase your stamina, you can perform at higher levels for much more amount of time. Also for Charizard and Infernape, your ability Blaze will be able to work for a longer amount of time before burning off. So let's get down to work guys!" I pumped my fist in the Air as all of my Pokémon did the same.

Increasing the stamina of a Pokémon was not something many trainers did, choosing to rather teach their Pokémon new attacks. Increasing the stamina of a Pokémon helped it to last longer in battles with more experienced Pokémon. It also helped during battles where it all ultimately comes down to endurance.

But the main advantage of improving the stamina and endurance of the Pokémon ultimately in terms of moves. I am almost 100% sure that Torterra and Sceptile could learn _Frenzy plant_ much faster if they work on their stamina. _Frenzy plant, Hydro Canon _and_ Blast Burn_ were moves that every fully evolved Pokémon of the respective types could do, but the question remained that for how long would the user continue after such a power depleting move?

The main points in my mind were Legendaries. Even though I might be able to make my Pokémon strong enough to go toe to toe with them, any Legendary's natural perseverance and endurance will ultimately result in its victory. I knew that to _not_ expect Tobias to participate in the Champion's League was a risk not worth taking, so my Pokémon have to be at a level at which they could defeat his Pokémon.

For Staraptor, Swellow, Noctowl, Gliscor and Unfezant, I decided to make them walk on the ground, or hop, so that they can actually get tired. They were flying types and so it was no use making them fly for any amount time; well not until it was for a day or two. And in the case of Gliscor, he just glided in the air, so it was especially important for him. I made a mental note to contact or visit either Falkner, Winona or Skyla to get tips on training my flying types.

"And Donphan, no rolling!" I warned the sheepish looking Grey colored Pokémon as he started running. Donphan moved from one place to another mostly while roiling, even in the wild. So it was very important that Donphan at least learns to run and move at battle ready speeds.

The rest of them were made to run on the ground till they got tired enough to stop. Charizard and Snorlax were annoyed by this, but bribing Snorlax with food worked out. Charizard was still unwilling to run on the ground, seemingly seeing it beneath him. But then suddenly Dragonite joined the fray. I looked with a confused eye towards him, but Dragonite merely winked at me. I grinned discreetly as I pointed towards Dragonite. "Looks like Dragonite is training pretty hard, isn't that right Charizard?" I asked to my strongest Fire Type, who twitched in response.

Seeing Charizard not bulging, I decided to push it further "Well what can you expect, Dragonite _is_ after all a Pseudo Legendary." I noted with genuine praise towards Dragonite, who smiled at the compliment. That did it. Charizard gave a loud roar at that, the shockwave nearly throwing me off my feet, and took off after Dragonite. Virtual sparks flew between the eyes of the two powerful Pokémon as they started running neck and neck with each other. Although Charizard's large wings did pose a challenge for him, Charizard pulled through. Dragonite's tiny wings allowed for better locomotion for him.

Garchomp however didn't complain, unlike his fellow large Pokémon, as started running with vigour, Krookodile following soon after with his Sunglasses shining in the morning sun. Both of them were workhorses and liked to prove their competence to Ash, even though he didn't demand it from them.

Although they and Torterra had to be moved to a separate area, so that the others were not hampered by the mini earthquakes created by them. I also told Snorlax to teach Totodile, Dewott and Palpitoad Ice Beam when we finished the exercise; Snorlax had somehow learned that in the time I was not here. That was enough to make me go numb for a minute. For as long as I had known, Snorlax had been extremely lazy to train, so it was very lucky for me that he had put the effort.

Sceptile was barely making any effort to keep up with the others, him being a speed demon helped in the long run. My _main_ _battle_ Tauros was also making little effort in keeping up, seeing as its favourite pass-time had been to run along with its herd. So Tauros was my go to Pokémon whenever I was looking for stamina. The other 29 of my Tauros were keeping me company. Even though I didn't battle with them, didn't mean that I didn't take out the time to talk with them. I was greatly surprised to find out that every Tauros in the herd had a different personality; some were playful, while others had leadership qualities which they took up when my main Tauros left. Almost none wanted to battle, so I didn't force them to and neither did I have the need.

I chuckled at seeing Infernape and Pignite keeping neck to neck with each other, not intending to give their respective newfound rivals any lead.

Although I found it a bit strange that Sceptile and Blaziken were running together, and was Sceptile getting a red in the face? Did he have a fever or something?

"Yo Sceptile!" I called out to my fully evolved Hoenn Pokémon, who looked back at me, Blaziken stopping along with him. I ran near them "Are you ill Sceptile, you face is kinda red?" I asked in concern.

Sceptile looked at his trainer as if he was the biggest idiot since Doink the Clown. Blaziken shyly turned her head away at being caught by Sceptile's trainer.

"So you're alright then?" I asked a bit carefully since Sceptile was twitching now. When the leaf on his hand which he used for _Leaf blade_ started glowing, I took that as a cue for leaving. Seriously, what's up with him?

I noticed that Muk was having a lot of trouble keeping up with the others, seeing as he had no legs and in all reality he was a living blob. Muk obviously looked sad at his lack of speed and slowed down even more, his usual happy eyes dimming due to sadness.

"Don't give up Muk!" I shouted in encouragement to Muk, who looked towards me. "It's not a race, so need to worry if you get behind, all right?" Muk perked up at that and started slugging on the ground with much more vigour, occasionally jumping a small distance. I allowed him to do that, seeing as that too allowed to help increase him stamina, not to mention the speed and flexibility of his _Body Slam_ attack.

Quilava, Pikachu, Dewott, Bulbasaur and Totodile were running smoothly without much trouble, with Quilava being the most comfortable, its streamlined body providing it least resistance from air.

But in all this, I was left with the one Pokémon I just couldn't understand what to do with.

Glalie was sadly looking down on the ground as he hovered before me. "What to do with you Glalie?" I asked my second Ice-Type as I tried to come up with any way to make Glalie train his stamina. Being an Ice Type, I knew that Glalie had major Potential. Ice-Type Pokémon had the highest attacks of all, not to mention they were super effective against Dragon types.

"Gla..." Glalie muttered in disappointment. He had got the time to train with his Trainer after so much time and then this happens! Glalie was really cursing his luck at this time. As much as other Pokémon envied Glalie for having the ability to hover off the ground, Glalie envied others for having the various features like hands and feet. For Pokémon like Arbok, Ekans, Koffing, Weezing and Glalie, who did not have hands, a lot of things were made difficult in life. Even though Palpitoad was in the same boat, at least he could rest in the knowledge that he will get arms once he evolves.

As I thought for a few more moments, looking at Glalie's hovering form gave me a brilliant idea. "That's it Glalie! You may not be able to walk or hop comfortably, but you could become the best in hovering!" I exclaimed.

Glalie tilted its head...body (?) in confusion. "-Lie?"

"Hover up and down as rapidly as you can Glalie, this will help you to increase your most hovering height and also increase your speed in dodging. Not to mention it will help you in _Gyro Ball_!" For Pokémon like Glalie, who constantly hovered above ground and did not have feet or hands, to learn dodging was a very important art.

Glalie's eyes widened in excitement and understanding as he took off to a secluded area to practice.

It was then that a sudden idea came to my mind. I called upon one of oldest and first Jhoto Pokémon. And probably one of the strongest. "HERACROSS!" I yelled over the field as Heracross cut off from his place in the running field and hovered to me.

"Heracross, I want you to take the help of Noctowl and learn to fly better." Heracross gave a whine at this but I immediately cut him off. "You are already fast on the ground Heracross, if you learn to fly perfectly just imagine the amount of flexibility you will get in terms of attacks _and _defence! You could use one of your stronger attacks from the sky or...or you could immediately fly up to dodge!" I tried to lamely make it sound cool for him. But the ability to fly was a major advantage that Heracross had. There was no guarantee that battlefields would remain the same in every battle, so having the ability to fight while flying was a very edge for Heracross.

Heracross thought over it for a while. Even though he had wings, Heracross didn't particularly use them for much transport, instead choosing to move from one place to other by foot. Still looking reluctant, Heracross gave a nod and moved towards Noctowl who was hopping on the ground behind Swellow and before Unfezant.

Eventually Scraggy joined up with the gang too, although his running was interrupted once while to pick his loose skin up.

As I watched my Pokémon sweat and give their very best in heavy exercise after a long time, I felt that I should also share my Pokémon's pain. Many gave me startled looks as I started running with them. But I knew that to effectively train my Pokémon, I have to look strong in their image too. I didn't want another Charizard experience in the Champions League.

**XXX**

_1 hour later_

The larger Pokémon, like Snorlax, Torterra, Krookodile, Garchomp and Charizard, and the flying types were completely out of breath and lying on the ground panting. My condition was no better as I was spread on the ground, seeing stars. Others like Muk, Kingler, Corphish, Torkoal and Boldore, who all didn't have bodies made for running long distances, were equally tired.

Heracross was massaging his sore wings with his short hands, never having experienced such a torture before.

The Pokémon smaller in size like Pikachu, Totodile and Quilava were breathing heavily, but were otherwise alright. Tauros and Sceptile looked perfectly fine, showing that they were indeed training while at the ranch. Buizel and Dewott had immediately jumped into the Pond to replenish the lost water.

I sweatdropped to see Glalie and Muk knocked out from over exertion. I felt really bad to see my Pokémon in this state, it was as if I was going against my own words which I had spoken to A.J. But seeing the looks of determination on my Pokémon's faces stopped me from ending the training.

After 15 minutes of rest, me and my Pokémon got up slowly. "This is what we have to make a regular thing guys." I said to my Pokémon who looked at me with what could only be described as a _'WTF'_ look. "I know that its tiring guys-" Snorlax scoffed at this "But if we want to win at the Pokémon Champions League, we must not give up at such little things!" Most of the group looked a bit more determined at this.

It was certainly a great start. However, to expect a large progress in just an hour of training was stupid. I knew that to get to the level we needed to be, such a routine in the morning should eventually become a mere warm up for us.

The remaining 45 minutes were spent in the same manner. Since some of the Pokémon were absolutely dried up by the sudden training, I left the still active ones to spar against each other. Snorlax however took the easy way out and kept his namesake by snoring under a tree.

Infernape against Pignite was a pretty surprising battle. Pignite had tried to use _Flame Charge_ at one point, intending to take Infernape by surprise. But Infernape just scoffed and activated his superior _Flare Blitz_, dealing massive damage to the other fire type. The damage could have been even more had there been some Pokémon of a type weaker to Fire.

But Pignite was never one to give up easily.

In a moment of arrogance, Infernape left a hole in his defence. Pignite took advantage of it and immediately attacked with a Brick Break. It was only through his harsh training under Paul that Infernape had been able to lessen the impact by using Mach punch.

I called off the match immediately afterwards; there was no need for a serious battle just now.

Next up was the second and last battle. For this I decided to choose the battlers myself, Muk and Heracross. The reason for this was simple; Muk hadn't fought in a serious battle in 2-3 years and needed practice. Since Heracross's typing were less damaging to a poison type, he was the perfect opponent for rusty Muk. Quilava played the referee and increased his flames to signal the start of the match.

Heracross immediately attacked Muk with a flurry of Punches and kicks, probably a _Fury attack._ Muk did not give any response to these attacks, merely got hit by them. Finally Heracross used a _Focus Punch_ which knocked Muk off the ground and sent him back a few metres. I was about to run to check up on the injured Muk when a strange noise caught my attention.

"Gurk Gurk Gurk."

'_What the hell was that!?'_

Much to my amazement, Muk reformed out of the puddle it had formed into and attacked Heracross with a _Body Slam, _which was narrowly avoided. I noted with appreciation that the Body Slam was quite strong, the crater formed on the ground proved it. It seemed that Heracross noticed it too, taking the battle more seriously than before.

Muk didn't stop, it relentlessly attacked Heracross with multiple _Sludge Bombs, _which I recognised as a _Sludge Wave _attack. Heracross used its superior speed to expertly dodge all the _Sludge Bombs_. Just as Heracross smirked in satisfaction, my eyes widened.

Muk had used the _Sludge Wave_ in a multiple _Sludge Bomb_ Form and had surrounded Heracross in a closed off area! Heracross didn't have anywhere to escape, not when its wings were sore from practise. '_I don't know whether you planned it out Muk, but using Heracross's temporary disadvantage of not being able to fly was brilliant!'_

Heracross scowled at the grinning Muk and immediately attacked Muk with a Megahorn, intending to follow up with a _Hyperbeam_ while Muk reformed. Muk looked the same as before, not giving any outwards response at the attack. All of the observers thought Muk would take it like before and then reform, but-

Just as the _Megahorn _reached Muk, the living Blob sprang into action and took hold of Heracross, who was panicking at the sudden action from the usually lazy and affectionate Poison Type. Muk then used its most recently learned attack, _Poison gas. _A purplish Smoke came out of Muk's mouth, hitting Heracross point blank. The thing with _Poison _gas was that not only did it poison the person or Pokémon inhaling it, it also acted as an eye and skin irritant. Although Heracross's armour protected it from skin irritation, its eyes were shut due to the sudden burning in them. The Poison took effect almost immediately, effectively weakening Heracross, who barely used a weak _Horn Attack _to escape.

I decided that it was time to stop the battle, seeing as I had to go to see Professor Oak. "Alright guys, that's enough!" The Pokémon immediately agreed, with most of the Pokémon looking at Muk in a new light. No one had thought that Muk would be able to challenge Heracross. Heracross went off into the nearby orchard to eat a few berries to recover, shrugging off my concerns.

"You were great Muk! Your strategy and attacks were very nicely coordinated!" I praised my only Poison Type. Muk jumped at me with a weak_ Body slam_, flattening me on the ground.

"Muuuukkk!" Needless to say, Muk was very happy from his near victory over one of Ash's main battlers. Muk expressed his happiness in the only way he knew, by glomping his trainer in a affectionate hug!

I could barely breathe under the body of Muk, not to mention the stench. I still hugged back Muk weakly. I found the fact that me, Professor Oak and Professor Birch were not dead from being under the body of a Pokémon whose mere presence on the ground made it impossible for grass to grow otherwise, very surprising. Perhaps Muk could control what it wanted to destroy?

"Y-Yeah! I-I l-love you too b-buddy!" I said as loudly as I could with a 100 kg blob on top of me. I looked at Snorlax with pleading eyes, who sighed and used _Mega Kick _on Muk, saving me from an unfortunate death by choking under my own Pokémon. Muk landed a few metres back and promptly grew back from his deformed shape. I and my Pokémon gave a universal shiver at the creepy laughter from Muk.

**XXX**

"So Ash, what was it that you wanted to talk to me about?" Now fully up and about, Professor Oak asked me as he sipped on his morning tea. His hair was still a bit dishevelled and clothing had crinkles, but he looked fairly awake.

"It's about the Pokémon Champion's League Professor Oak." The Professor's eyes widened at that "Yeah I saw the letter and brochure which you kept in the lab."

"What do you want to know Ash?" The Professor wasn't surprised by the question Ash asked him in the slightest. In fact, he had been expecting such a question at the moment Ash read the brochure.

"I want to seriously ask you Professor Oak, do you think I am a good trainer?" I asked bluntly to the Professor, who shifted in his seat.

"Of course Ash, you are one of the best young trainers I have ever met." The Professor said.

I did not smile at the answer, I had expected the same thing. But I wanted the honest one, not one which I wanted to hear. "No, Professor. Please tell me what you really think about me, about my chances at the Pokémon Champion's League, against th-the Elite Four." I asked in a fierce tone.

Professor Oak looked Ash in the eye for a few seconds, after which he sighed heavily and began to answer his honest opinion. He just hoped that Ash didn't think any less of him after this. But unfortunately for Oak...

**XXX**

_A few minutes earlier_

Delia Ketchum hummed happily to herself as she put some biscuits in a tray to give to the Professor. She had been a student of Professor Oak in her younger days and thus was quite close to him and his family. She had brought Ash over quite a few times when he had been a child, and thus nurtured his love for Pokémon.

While coming to the Lab in the morning, she had been surprised to see Ash with his Pokémon, training hard along with them. She observed them with a proud smile for a few minutes before moving into the Lab to make her usual Tea for her Teacher.

'_My little Ashy is growing so fast! I just hope that his dream comes true soon.'_ Delia thought to herself as she opened the door to Professor Oak's living room.

"Here's your snack Profe-"

"...and as you are now Ash, you don't have the slightest chance to win against a Champion." She saw as Professor Oak finished with his arms crossed and a depressed looking Ash sitting before him.

She saw red at that, and like a raging Tauros she moved to towards the scared shitless Professor, who just noticed the enraged mother's presence.

"**SAMUEL OAK! HOW DARE YOU PUT DOWN MY SON LIKE THAT!" **Delia yelled as she raised her tray to hit and probably give a concussion to the shaking Professor.

"N-N-NO! D-Delia Its not-" Professor Oak could see his very life flashing in front of his eyes as Delia raised the tray further to get the most painful hit. But then a sudden voice stopped her.

**XXX**

"Stop, Mom."

"But why Ash? How dare that old fart put you down like th-" Delia once again turned her heated eyes towards the aged Professor, who was hiding behind the couch.

'"Its okay Mom, I needed to hear his honest opinion." I said as I tried to placate my mother.

"But you won the Unova League honey, then why did he say that you don't stand a chance against the Champions?" Delia said in a mildly angered and confused tone.

"Yes, I won the Unova League mom, but the elite four and Champions are at a completely different level from that. I asked for Professor Oak's thoughts on my battling style and the condition of my Pokémon. And his opinion really helped me Mom, now I know what faults I have and I can think about how to improve upon them." I said, hoping that Mom would lose her anger towards the Professor, who gave me a discreet thumbs up from behind the Couch.

Delia looked convinced at that, but didn't leave the room before giving the Professor a small glare.

Professor Oak looked over the couch and when the coast was clear, sat back on it. "Thank you very much Ash, I think you saved from certain death today." Professor Oak said in a thankful tone.

Delia Ketchum was one of the kindest persons anyone could ever meet. And not to mention a doting mother. But when she got angry... Oak gave an involuntary shiver at that.

I decided to turn back the conversation to the main topic. "So what you are saying is that there is a big power imbalance in my team?" This was one of the points which intrigued me the most.

Professor Oak closed his eyes thoughtfully. "Yes my boy, Your Sinnoh Pokémon are the most powerful bunch among them, whereas your Jhoto and Hoenn Pokémon are the weakest. Your habit of leaving them here each year did not help in the slightest. The Pokémon slacked off and gave up on their training, well most of them. Sceptile is one of the few who admirably kept up his training."

"But why didn't the others do too?" I pressed on.

"You see Ash, the main reason for Pokémon to train and fight in the wild is either for Food or for Territory. Since they have a constant source of food here and have no need for territories, they don't have a need for training."

My eyes widened at this information. So it _is_ my fault. I abandoned them here, causing them to give up on their survival instincts and grow much too comfortable in a friendly atmosphere. No wonder Torkoal was knocked out after one attack, he had forgotten how to deal with them!

So to make them get back their previous power and then eventually surpass that, I knew what I needed to do. And I just had one year and one month to do it.

"I need to go on a training trip." I announced to the Professor, who looked at me with an appraising eye.

"And one more thing my boy, your team needs to have more Pokémon of different typings. From your records, I have seen that you have let go of quite a few Pokémon, I would suggest getting them back." Professor Oak said as he remembered the records of a Larvitar, Haunter and Lapras on Ash's Pokedex.

"Yeah, it looks like the time to get back my old friends is now." '_Of course that is if they want to return.'_ Ash thought as he looked out of the large window present in the Living room, observing his and his friend's Pokémon interact happily with each other, showing the same bonds of friendship as the one present between their masters.

"You know Ash, the information you gave us regarding Legendary Pokémon shook the foundations of the Pokémon Scientific community yesterday." Professor Oak commented as he took a sip from his now cold tea.

"How so Professor?" I asked. Did my findings really matter that much?

Samuel Oak looked at the young man sitting before him incredulously. "My boy, for one you confirmed to us that these Pokémon actually exist. Before you reported your discoveries to me, no one knew whether Arceus, Dialga, Palkia and Giratina were actually real or not. Of course there was that scientist who was researching the reverse world, but now his statements can be actually believed by me and many others. We know about a new species of Pokémon, Deoxys, for god's sake! From what you have described to me, Deoxys came from another planet, do you know just how large this information is?"

I shook my head dumbly.

Professor Oak clapped his hands on my shoulder. "That means that there are completely different species of Pokémon out there in the Universe, just think of the possibilities! From years we have debated on the possibility of Volcarona belonging from the Sun! The SUN ASH! The existence of Deoxys proves the presence of Pokémon on other Planets. Heck there might be Pokémon on the moon."

"Wow." Really, that was all I could possibly say.

Professor Oak then raised a finger "And for that Ash, I have a gift for you." '_Well actually it was a gift for winning the Unova League, but now you deserve it even more.'_

I waited patiently in the room as I wondered just what gift could Professor Oak have for me. An egg? Super portions? Set of Pokeballs? Training guides?

But what Professor Oak came back with was a fairly large watch like gadget, with a nice screen on it. "I present to you Ash, my newest invention, the Prototype Pokémon Technical information device mode no. A-998471." He said proudly as he raised the Device in various poses.

"Um what?" What the heck was with such a large name.

Professor Oak face-palmed "Urg, it is a new type of Pokedex I have designed Ash, its name is XtremeDex, pretty cool huh!" Professor Oak said in a jovial tone.

'_That's a cool name?'_ I mentally questioned myself, but then shook my head and graciously accepted the device from Professor Oak. "So how do I use it Professor?"

"You just Strap it on to your wrist, just like a watch." I did the same and then my eyes widened in wonder as the XtremeDex came alive, its 4 inch screen lighting up as various applications came over it, almost none of which I recognised. But the most shocking thing was the sudden voice that came from the device.

"Good Morning, Sir." The device said in a polite tone, the voice similar to my older Pokedex's.

"Whoa, what was that Professor?" I asked in amazement.

The Professor's chest puffed out in pride. "This Ash is my ultimate invention in the field of Pokedex to date. The XtremeDex is a device which works as an all round gadget. You can use it to see the time, to set alarms, to see information about various Pokémon, set your schedule, and keep Phone numbers and so much more! But the main thing about it is-" The Professor was interrupted as the voice spoke up once more.

"I can talk to you, sir." The voice said politely. "Indeed Ash, the device is fully self aware and can make meaningful conversations with you on practically any topic."

Wow. Talk about modern technology. "So what's your name?" I asked it. Seeing as it could talk, it must also have a name.

"My name is Dexter, sir." The Device said back politely.

"Well, nice to meet you Dexter, I'm Ash Ketchum!" I said in a happy voice. After all, when do you get the chance to talk to a real machine?

"Nice to meet you, sir. My job is to help you in your journey by helping you identify and capture Pokémon. I can also help you maintain any schedule you feed into me. My battery is a bit low, so I would suggest plugging me in to charge me back. By my calculations, 2 hours will be enough for the task."

Well that was a relief. As much as I didn't want to admit it, I forgot about such things pretty quickly. So a device which can remind me of such things is pretty froot. (1) But then- "What if I am is some area where there is no electrical supply? How will I charge Dexter then Professor?"

The Professor waved off my concerns. "That won't be a problem my boy. If you charge Dexter's battery for a week from now, on electricity, then its batteries will get fully operational, after which the battery life will increase tenfold, also it has a solar charging screen, so it would hardly be a problem." Indeed. For a device like a Pokedex, which is used by Trainers who spend most of their time in forests or training grounds, a device solely dependent on Electricity is not viable.

I nodded and went to attach Dexter to the Power Plug which was quite congested, seeing as many of the Lab's machines were attached to it.

When I walked back to the Professor, he gave me a warning "There is something you must know Ash. Dexter is a self aware program, but it is just that a program. Dexter doesn't understand emotions or feelings or even common courtesy. The only reason he calls you sir is because I have implemented a forced command in it. Also, Dexter might bitch about a few things so be careful." The Professor said in a whisper. I sweatdropped at the late warning, only to hear Dexter speaking up once more.

"Sir, I truly hope that your home is better than my cheap _creator's_ place. I can hardly gather enough energy from this low life place." Dexter commented in a snobby voice, saying the word _creator_ as if it was beneath him. The XtremeDex was vibrating at some points, for extra effect of a shiver.

As Professor Oak made his way out of the room, a look of extreme relief washed over his face. '_FINALLY! Finally I got rid of Dexter, thing was getting so freaking annoying! Just what was I thinking when I installed the 'Curse' file in it? Well Ash I have complete belief in you that you will be able to take care of it...probably.'_

Not for the first time in his life did Ash wonder just what he had gotten himself into.

**XXX**

**Omake (ALTERNATE UNIVERSE)**

Ash Ketchum, Pokémon Master from 20 years and unrivalled in his battling prowess, walked out to the arena as his trusty Pikachu rode on his shoulder. It was for the first time in 3 years that he was coming out of his self imposed exile cum training session on Mount Silver. He didn't know what Pokémon his Challenger possessed, but if he had been able to go through all of the Elite Four and Champions, then he must be something alright.

He had just been informed that the guy facing him wanted an equal one on one battle. His Ninetails against the challenger's. Ash had smirked upon the over confidence of his challenger, Ninetails had been one of his very first Pokémon and certainly the strongest after Charizard and Pikachu. Well, no matter, he would crush this guy!

"And now Ladies and Gentlemen, the Pokémon Master of the world, ASH KETCHUM!" The announcer yelled in a loud voice as the audience cheered somewhat, confusing Ash. Had the challenger become so popular that he surpassed his own?

Well, Ash would see. "And now, Ladies and gentlemen, presenting to you, the guy who over ran the competition with a single Pokémon, ladies and gentlemen he defeated Cynthia, Lance, Dianthia, Wallace and Alder with the same Pokémon! Presenting to you, NARUTO UZUMAKI!" the Audience went ballistic at the arrival of the competitor

Ash observed his competition; the blonde haired boy in front of him had spiky sunny blonde hair and three off whisker marks on his cheeks. He wore a orange and black jumpsuit which looked much worse for wear. He was grinning and waving to the audience like a goof.

'_Heh, fool.'_ "Ninetails, I CHOOSE YOU!" Ash yelled as he threw his Pokeball, with a nine tailed silvery fox emerging from the Pokeball. Ash smirked '_Let's see him deal with Nine-o.'_

The competitor didn't give any hint of worry or fear at facing the strongest Pokémon trainer to date. He simply made a few off movements with his hands before slamming them on the ground.

"**KUCHIYOSE: Ninetails**!" Naruto yelled as the whole arena was covered in a huge puff of smoke.

Ash's eyes widened in disbelief and pure unadulterated fear as he saw the behemoth before him. The 'Ninetails' was of a blood red colour, with nine tails flowing behind him and slitted red eyes.

"Holy fuck what do you feed your Ninetails!" Ash screamed in fear. His Ninetails had gotten the fuck out of the arena after seeing the other Ninetails.

"A lot of Spinach." Just as Naruto said that, Kyuubi took out a huge can of Spinach from out of nowhere and ate it, with Popeye the sailor Man's theme playing in the background.

**A/N: **SO! That's the third chapter guys, I hope that you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it! I intended to show a prelude of how Ash and his Pokémon will be training, also now that the girl's crushes are out of the bag, what's gonna happen? Will Iris get the girls into some crazy scheme for confessing their love for Ash? Will Dexter turn out to be a friend or an annoyance? Just how fucking ridiculous will it be for Naruto to battle with his own Ninetails?

All those questions will certainly not be answered in the next chapter, because that will make the story boring. But rest assured Shippers of various shapes and kinds, many of you will be pleased by what I do, and if for some reason you don't, you can always review your unhappiness! And for newly created Dexter fans, well I guran-damn-tee you that Dexter will have his moments in the fic.

Also someone asked for a Mewtwo arc. Well I must admit I am thinking of doing something now that there are two Mewtwo's in the world, one Male and one Female (nudge-nudge wink-wink). What I have in mind is a hilarious meeting between the three, which would lead to t-

Ah, now that would be telling, wouldn't it? Rest assured, you will like it.

Thanks for taking the time to read my story! And the long ass Author's note.

If you have read Chris Jericho's (WWE) book, _Undisputed_, then you damn well know what I'm talking about!

Tango Charlie out.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Chapter 4 is upon us! **This chapter was one of the difficult ones to write, putting in the emotions of Pokémon is quite hard I tell you.

I was just reading the reviews my wonderful readers have left upon this story and I came by a pretty froot suggestion. The female Frillish from Unova. Thanks dude, definitely considering her now! Water+Ghost makes for an interesting combination!

Also one more thing guys, and it's pretty major in my opinion. Have any of you seen the new **Pokerap with all the 700+ Pokémon**? Its preettyyy epic...so please try it!

I hope that you enjoy the chapter. It's my opinion that the Plot is coming along quite nicely and I have the belief that this story will go very high, of course that is if you support it!

**XXX**

**POKESPEECH ACTIVATED**

_**Time:**__ The Night of return of Ash, 1 day ago_

As Bulbasaur talked up with the various new Pokémon that Ash had brought back from Unova, he looked back impatiently towards May, who was just about to release her Pokémon for the night.

"_Getting impatient, are we?" _Charizard asked with a smirk towards Bulbasaur, gaining everyone's immediate attention.

"_Huh? Impatient for what?" _Pikachu asked in a confused tone as he looked between a blushing Bulbasaur and smirking Charizard.

"_Heh, waiting for Bulbasaur's little girlfriend, of course." _Charizard said in a smug tone. Bulbasaur blushed even brighter. Pikachu however, paled and moved a bit away from the scene, no one noticed.

"_Holy shit, you mean May's Bulba?" _Sceptile asked in an astonished voice as he looked at Bulbasaur. Corphish and Swellow also looked surprised at this.

"_Whoa, congratulations dude! Bulba sure was a hottie alright." _Swellow said with a smirk as he nudged Bulbasaur with his wing. His comment earned him a glare from Bulbasaur, but Swellow was happy enough that his travelling friend Bulba and lab friend Bulbasaur were an item.

However, the Sinnoh Pokémon were looking uneasily at each other. This was only noticed by Charizard, who also noticed Pikachu not getting involved in teasing Bulbasaur '_Strange? I had though Pikachu would be one of the first to tease Bulbasaur. Is something going on?'_

"_Should we tell him or what?" _Infernape questioned his fellow Sinnoh mates. Each and every one of the Sinnoh Pokémon looked with sadness at each other, knowing full well that Bulbasaur's heart will be broken. Bulbasaur's friendly nature and habit of keeping everyone in control had made him a favourite among all of the Pokémon of Ash, so the ones who knew the truth were quite sad for the little guy.

"_Nah, let bro find out by himself, it will be better for him." _Buizel finally decided and everyone agreed.

Charizard observed the strange behaviour of the Sinnoh Pokémon, but shrugged it off as something unimportant. He then looked on at Bulbasaur with a smile and nodded at him to go meet up with Bulba. Sceptile winked at Bulbasaur. He was very happy that Bulbasaur had found someone for him, although much to his worry, there was a nagging feeling in his heart, the same feeling he had before Megnanium left him for that damn Tropius.

Bulbasaur ran forward in excitement to meet up with Bulba. '_Oh man, so many days have passed since I last met her!' _

It was just then that May released her Pokémon "All of you come on out!" She yelled as six figures materialised.

"_Bulba!" _Bulbasaur yelled in happiness as he went forward to search for his love. But as the Pokémon materialised, his breath stopped-

-because before him was not the Bulba he knew, but a pretty large Venasaur. '_No. This can't be happening with me!'_

Bulbasaur started hyperventilating as he saw the two heart shaped symbols on Venasaur's face. '_So it is her. But why? Why did she evolve!?' "WHY!?" _He finally yelled, causing May's Pokémon to look at him in confusion for a second, before their eyes widened. The other Pokémon silently made their way out of there, until only Bulbasaur and Venasaur remained.

Venasaur looked at Bulbasaur with sadness "_I wanted to be stronger Bulbasaur, that's all." _She explained.

"_But we don't need to evolve to get stronger! Why the hell don't you get that!?"_ Bulbasaur yelled in pain and anguish.

Venasaur didn't do anything other than sighing at Bulbasaur's behaviour. _"I'm sorry Bulbasaur, but this is the way I reached my full potential and helped to fulfil May's ambition."_

Bulbasaur looked perplexed_ "But that doesn't answer my question, . !? I am strong, Pikachu is strong, we didn't need to evolve to get-" _Bulbasaur was shut up as Venasaur snorted.

"_Look at yourself Bulbasaur, can't you see just how selfish you are being? Don't you and Pikachu get it? By evolving, we Pokémon reach our true potential. That's why evolution is a __**natural **__process. So it's not me who has done anything wrong, it's you and Pikachu who are opposing the flow of Nature. Do you honestly think that Charizard could have gotten half as strong as he is now if he didn't evolve!? Give me a break Bulbasaur." _She scoffed.

Bulbasaur wanted to cry, he really did, but his male pride didn't allow him to. Words of his precious Bulba hurt him more than any _Flamethrower_ from Charizard could ever have.

"_I mean, seriously, just think if you had evolved back in your first journey Bulbasaur. Just think how much more you could have helped Ash, but noooo you just had to stay as a Bulbasaur, just because of your pride and fear." _She spat at the slowly breaking Bulbasaur. _"You should be thankful that Ash is such a great guy and loves you all so much, any other trainer who had an ambition to win would have forced you to evolve."_

Each and every Pokémon around was looking quietly at the scene unfolding before them. The jolly mood of all the Pokémon excited to meet up with their friends had lowered down considerably. Ash's Pokémon were seething in anger, Sceptile was almost vibrating as his anger reached limits untold of. Bulbasaur was one of_ them_, how dare the bitch put him down.

Bulbasaur looked even more broken t that. He knew full well how it felt to get abandoned by a trainer, thank you very much. But now he couldn't say anything that could refute any of Venasaur's point. It was true that if he had evolved then he could have helped out Ash in their first league. So now he said the only thing that he knew he had left to say_. "B-But I l-loved you Bulba." _He said as he lowered his eyes towards the ground, to shield the lone tear that had fallen out of his eyes.

Almost the entire group felt their own hearts break at the scene.

Venasaur visible flinched at that_ "I liked you too Bulbasaur, but now nothing is possible between us. I would suggest you to mov-" _Venasaur was shut up as a loud thump occurred in the ground between Bulbasaur and Venasaur.

Sceptile had heard enough by this point_. "And I would suggest you to shut the fuck up." _He said in a cold voice, making Venasaur gulp.

"_I don't know what has happened to you after evolving Venasaur, but get over it. The way you are putting down Bulbasaur is simply unreal. And if you say even one more word, I'm afraid I do not know what I would do-" _Sceptile was cut off as Bulbasaur's voice rang out in the quiet clearing.

"_No need for that Sceptile. I know what Venasaur is saying is true. Now that she is a Venasaur and I'm a Bulbasaur, nothing could happen between us. Really, it's better if we forget there ever was anything between us." _Bulbasaur said coolly. Yes, the blatant disrespect hurt, but it was not as if he could blame Venasaur for evolving. It was her decision, just as it had been his own to not evolve.

Venasaur started shaking at that_ "But why can't you evolve into a Venasaur? What's so wrong with it? We could be together Bulbasaur, me and you, just evolve, just accept the way of Nature-"_

"_That's enough Venasaur. You have made your point and I, mine. It would be better if you follow what Sceptile is saying." _Bulbasaur said coldly as he turned away and walked towards his friends, his real friends. Venasaur said nothing, but a lone tear did fell from her eye. She admitted in her heart that Bulbasaur not calling her Bulba hurt more than she imagined.

"_You okay man?" _Pikachu asked as he neared his long time friend.Seeing Bulbasaur so sad added to Pikachu's guilt of not telling his long time friend the truth about Bulba.

"_It's all right Pikachu." _Bulbasaur said with a fake smile. On the inside though, he was a mixture of a hundred different emotions. Should he evolve? Should he stay true to his word?_ "No need to fret guys, I'll be fine. It may not be tonight or tomorrow, but I'll be fine." _Bulbasaur assured his friends as they looked at him with encouraging smiles.

But Charizard was the only one who didn't say anything. He had a feeling in his heart that something was about to happen. Something major, that would affect his friend.

**POKESPEECH DEACTIVATED**

**XXX**

**XXX**

_After Ash's talk with the Professor_

After my long talk with Professor Oak, I made my way outside to where my Pokémon were. I remembered Professor Oak's advice for me to expand my party, and no time is better than now. My first choice was the Pokémon who was my very second capture and also one of my most loyal Pokémon, Pidgeot. I had attached Pidgeot's old Pokeball to my waist, so as to return Pideot once I met him. The reason I had kept the Pokeball was to protect Pidgeot from being captured by another trainer during the time I was away.

The reason for this was two-fold. First of all, getting Pidgeot back would massively help my other flying types, seeing as Pidgeot was the senior-most among them. Swellow and Noctowl were heavily lacking in Flying type moves and who better to teach them than a massively experienced one. The second reason was very simple.

I had promised him.

I had promised Pidgeot that I will return for him one day. In the 5 years that I had left him, his flock was sure to have grown and some Pidgeotto must have evolved, so getting Pidgeot back should be no problem.

So now my problem was just how to get there. Walking by foot would take me atleast 1 or 2 days and that much time I did not have to waste by travelling to pointless places. That left flying.

Charizard and Garchomp, these were my two Pokémon capable of flying while me riding them. Although Staraptor was big, his size still wasn't enough for me to ride on him. So with that in mind I called out-

"Charizard!" The reason for choosing Charizard was simple, he actually knew Pidgeot from way back to my first Kanto journey. Taking a predator Pokémon like Garchomp could cause unnecessary trouble and fear among the wild Flying types, which I did not want.

Charizard rose up from under the tree where he was resting and flew towards his trainer. Landing gracefully, Charizard awaited for orders from Ash. Seeing his trainer, Pikachu also bundled up towards Ash.

"Let's go Charizard, we're gonna get back our friend." I said to Charizard.

Charizard tilted his head in confusion, but didn't say anything and lowered his back for Ash to climb upon. Just as Ash and Charizard were about to take off, a yellow rodent came running towards the duo.

"PIKA PIKACHU!" Pikachu yelled as he stood before Ash and Charizard.

I thought about it for a while. While I wanted to take Pikachu with me to meet Pidgeot, I also knew that it was not fair for Bulbasaur to miss out on seeing his old friend. So I decided to get Bulbasaur's Pokeball too, before taking off.

**XXX**

Me, Charizard and Pikachu were soaring above the skies of Viridian Forest. We had entered the area about 29 minutes ago and still there was no sight of Pidgeot or his flock.

"Where is Pidgeot?" I asked to no one in particular. Pikachu was also having a look out while clutching tightly on my shoulder. Suddenly Charizard jerked violently.

"Whoa! What's happening Charizard!?" I asked in panic to my first fire type. The winds were not so fast as to cause a massive Pokémon like Charizard any trouble, unless-

"It's a Pokémon attack! Charizard, stay on guard." I said to Charizard who grunted in agreement

Not one second later, a huge bird with a glowing wing, '_Steel Wing' _I realised, came towards us at supersonic speed; almost blurring in the air. But Charizard himself was no slouch and expertly dodged the attack.

Charizard cursed his luck. Any other time and he would have roasted the bird foolish enough to attack him, but now that Ash was on his back he simply could not go all out!

As the bird, which was even larger than Staraptor, reached a point 45 metres above us, I finally observed just what Pokémon was it. And when I did, my eyes widened.

"Wait Pidgeot, it's me Ashhhhhhhh!" I tried to yell when Pidgeot attacked Charizard with another steel wing which Charizard dodged again, but the attack was enough for me to fall off Charizard and descend at high speeds towards the not so distant ground.

"AHHHHHHHHHH" I screamed in pure unadulterated fear as I held on to Pikachu and fell to what could only be my death, but to me and Pikachu's astonishment, I was caught by something. Something far softer than Charizard. I opened my eyes to see that it was Pidgeot who had caught me!

Pidgeot for his part was quite annoyed at the Charizard who had been circling over their area for quite some time and promptly went to chase him away. But when he saw the human who he had accidently pushed off Charizard, his heart had nearly stopped beating. It was Ash! After so many years he had come back for him and he had pushed him to his death! Pidgeot could swear that never in his life had he flown so fast. And never had he felt the **utter relief** he felt now that he had caught Ash and his old buddy Pikachu.

"Y-You gave m-me and P-Pikachu quite the scare there Pidgeot." I said to Pidgeot as me and Pikachu chuckled nervously. But much to his confusion, Pidgeot didn't respond. Was this some other Pidgeot? No, Pikachu recognised him too. Then why? Is he angry I did not return sooner?

As me and Pidgeot landed on the forest floor, I weakly thanked Pidgeot and lay on the ground to calm my racing heart. A split second later, an ear splitting roar was heard as Charizard landed on the ground. Seeing Ash lying on the ground, his heart skipped a beat and he immediately looked at Pikachu, who gave a thumbs up to indicate that everything was OK.

I slowly got up from the ground after a few seconds and looked towards Pidgeot, who was facing away from me. Was he angry I hadn't returned? "Hey Buddy!" I said to Pidgeot, who turned towards me but didn't take his eyes up. "You've grown really strong Pidgeot." I praised the large bird, who flinched at the praise.

Pidgeot was looking with shame towards the ground. How had he even thought of attacking a human in the sky? Sure he should have scared him, but he could have killed someone by this reckless behaviour. And that someone had nearly turned out to be Ash.

I was seriously getting worried now. "Pidgeot, are you angry at me? I am sorry I didn't come back sooner buddy, but I knew that you had duties to the flock. I am really sor-" That was all I could say before Pidgeot lunged and hugged me with tears in his eyes.

Pidgeot was shocked. Here he was wondering when Ash would get angry at him and again leave him and now Ash was trying to say sorry to him? After he had tried to so blatantly murder him a minute ago? He wasn't able to control the tears threatening to spill anymore and hugged Ash, happy to be so close to his trainer after so many years.

Charizard and Pikachu smirked at each other. _Blackmail Material baby._

**XXX**

Pidgeot had pressed the button on his Pokeball before I could even request him to come back, so I had taken that as a sign that Pidgeot's flock didn't need any protection anymore. OR they have become self sufficient. After letting out Pidgeot once more to let him meet up with Bulbasaur, Pikachu and Charizard I had lunch along with them as they talked about various things which had happened after Pidgeot left the group. Pidgeot's eyes had widened and an awed '-Geoott' had come out quite a few times as he heard of the various stories from Pikachu, Bulbasaur and Charizard.

In the mean time, I observed Pidgeot. I admitted to myself that Pidgeot indeed had grown quite a lot in these five years. He had already been quite large for its species when it had first evolved, but now, after five years his height was even more than Krookodile. If compared, Pidgeot could easily come into the top five in size in its species

Seeing as it was just noon, I decided that I still had time to get back one more of our friend. One particularly well known to the small group of five before me. I clapped my hands to get the attention of my Pokémon, who immediately turned towards me. "Alright Guys, seeing as we have much time left, I think that we can get another one of our friends back." The group of four cheered at that and immediately began wondering just who it would be that they would get back.

I turned towards the Dragon Like Pokémon in the clearing "Charizard, I think that you must be tired from all the training we did in the morning and now from all the flying, you can get some rest while Pidgeot will provide me a ride." Pidgeot cooed happily at that, while Charizard grumbled. But Charizard knew that he indeed was tired and thus happy to get back into the Pokeball. I returned Bulbasaur and Pikachu got into his usual position on my shoulder.

Suddenly a question came to my mind. One which had been bugging me for quite a while now. "Say Pidgeot, what happened to that Fearow you were the enemy of?" Pidgeot merely tapped another Pokeball on belt.

"What do you mean?" I asked in confusion.

I was only after a good script between Pikachu and Pidgeot that I finally understood that Fearow had been captured by another trainer. But who could have been brave/stupid enough to catch that bad ass Fearow? I rested those thought as I climbed on Pidgeot.

"Ready Pidgeot?" I asked the large bird as he carefully took off from and ground and started flying at medium speeds towards Vermillion City, which was our next destination. Flying on Pidgeot was a great experience and much more comfortable than Charizard or Garchomp. Pidgeot's soft feathers allowed for a much more comfortable and luxurious seat when compared to Charizard and Garchomp.

"It feels really good to have you back in the team buddy." I said in a genuinely happy voice and Pidgeot cooed softly in return.

**XXX**

_Vermillion City Fire fighting Department_

"Let's meet up with Squirtle guys!" I announced to my group of four as each of them yelled loudly in happiness, most of all Pidgeot, who couldn't wait to get back to his other Kanto friends like Kingler and Muk. I had already informed Officer Jenny yesterday that I might be coming to get back Squirtle. So there was no chance that he might be unavailable!

I had let out Charizard and Bulbasaur, so that we could all surprise Squirtle with the visit, as well as the major shocker of Pidgeot joining back. As I entered the Fire Fighting department, I was met with a few odd looks due to the Pokémon accompanying me, but I shrugged them off in the happiness of meeting one of my originals after such a long time. 2 years, to be precise.

"Oh! It's you Ash." Officer Jenny said sadly as she looked at Ash and his entourage of excited looking Pokémon.

I was quite confused at the sad tone of Officer Jenny's voice. "Um, yeah, I had informed you that I will be coming back to get Squirtle."

Her face looked solemn at that. "Yes of course, please take a seat Ash." She said in grave tone.

I was actually getting sacred right now. "W-What's the matter Officer jenny?" Charizard, Pikachu, Bulbasaur and Pidgeot also gulped and listened intently for Officer Jenny's answer. They wished they hadn't though.

"I-I I'm really sorry Ash." She said, her voice breaking. "T-There was an accident and things got bad and... a-and I'm sorry Ash, Squirtle is no more." She continued with a despondent face.

Ash and his Pokémon were shocked into stunned silence. Never in their life could they have comprehended what they were hearing now. Charizard's flame got dimmer, Pikachu fell down on his knees and Pidgeot looked ready to break down.

But in all this, Bulbasaur's face was comically twisted in horror as only one thought ran through his mind. '_That tone of voice... that hidden smile... saying Squirtle is no more...No. NO! OH __**FUCK **__NO!'_

"P-Please O-Officer Jenny, can you tell me what happened? " Tears were streaming down my eyes and I didn't even care. Squirtle, my buddy, one of my Pokémon, ...is no more?

"Maybe this will explain it all Ash." She then turned towards one of the doors in the office. "YOU CAN COME OUT NOW!" Just as she yelled, the door opened and a big blue colored and Shell covered Pokémon entered the room. The Pokémon had two powerful Canons' on its back and its face was turned in a smile. But the most peculiar thing was the black glasses on his face.

Jenny suddenly broke into a large smile. "Ash, meet Blastoise!" She announced.

Bulbasaur slowly took a step back '_HOLY SHIT! IT REALLY HAS HAPPENED!'_

I sniffed as I turned towards the large shell Pokémon in the room. It's smile looking so much like Squirtle it was almost painful, and its glasses looking so muc-

Wait what.

Glasses? The gears slowly turned in my head. '_Squirtle is no more...there was an accident...no more...more...ore'_

"SQUIRTLE!?" I yelled. The large sunglasses wearing Pokémon nodded back happily in response.

I jumped up from my seat as I engulfed him in a hug. "Y-You never d-do that again, okay Blastoise? I was so sad buddy; I was so scared that I had lost you." I made Blastoise promise to never do such a horrible joke again and then promptly yelled at Jenny for the other half hour. Blastoise met up with the others, namely Charizard, Pikachu and Pidgeot. He and Charizard talked about something, which lead to Charizard scoffing and closing his eyes. Blastoise and Pidgeot met up with a manly hug, very happy to see each other after such a long time, even if they were in different forms.

But in all this, Bulbasaur had stood frozen with shock. First his Bulba evolves and turns into a complete bitch_, then_ she puts him down for not evolving and now Squirtle fucking _evolved TOO_? Bulbasaur's mouth opened in a choked and strangled cry, which in Poke Speech translated into, _'DAMNYOU MURPHY!"_

**XXX**

"Thanks for the ride Pidgeot." I thanked Pidgeot as we landed in the Professor oak's fields. Pikachu hopped from my shoulder and waited for me get off. I returned Pidgeot to his Pokeball for the time being.

"Pikachu, gather everyone around will ya?" I asked to Pikachu, who Pika'd in response and ran off towards the fields.

_15 Minutes Later_

As my large group of Pokémon stood before me, I coughed into my hand to clear my throat. "We've got two new friends guys, so I want you all to welcome them into our group and make friends with them. Also, some of you know them from before." I hinted before I threw the four Pokeballs in my hand.

"CHAA!" "BULBA!" "BLAAAST!" "-GEOTTT!" The four Pokémon materialized in their hulking forms, well except Bulbasaur. I watched with satisfaction as most of the Pokémon's eyes widened after learning that Squirtle and Blastoise where the same. Pidgeot met up with Kingler and Muk, before flying off to meet with the other flying types.

As Pidgeot landed before Swellow, Staraptor, Noctowl and Unfezant, he analysed each one of them with a critical glaze. Needless to say, all four of them were highly intimidated by the larger Pokémon before them. But when he nodded at them and extended his wing in greeting, the tension dissolved and the five began chattering around excitedly.

I did notice, however, Dewott striking Blastoise with a _Water gun_, confusing the large turtle.

"Blast?" Blastoise tilted his head at the middle evolved Unova Starter, who looked at him with a challenging gaze and smirk. Blastoise merely smirked back and readied his canons, with an audible clicking noise. Dewott however was intimidated this and moved a step back. Blastoise merely grinned at Dewott, making him relax. But Totodile narrowed his eyes at Blastoise and immediately came running towards me.

"TOTOTOTOTOTOTO!" Totodile began jumping around me in an erratic manner. "What's the matter Totodile?"

Totodile pointed to him and then pointed at Blastoise. "To-to-dile!" He said with a narrowed eyes.

So that's what he wants huh, well I'll fulfil his wish.

"Say Blastoise, are you up for a battle with Totodile?" I asked to my first water type, who scoffed in reply, as if saying '_You seriously need to ask that?_'

"Okay then Totodile, I will be ordering you while Blastoise will be battling by himself, is that okay?" I asked to the gator Pokémon. Since Blastoise had evolved, it was natural that he had much more raw power than before. Also, I had not battled with Totodile from a long time.

Totodile grinned in response; it had been far too many days since he had battled with Ash.

Quilava once again took the role of referee and counted down, before releasing his body flames to a large height to indicate the start of the battle.

"All right! Totodile, start off with a _Water gun!" _Totodile released a small but steady stream of water towards Blastoise, who countered with a much more powerful Hydro Canon. "DODGE Totodile!" Fortunately, my warning came just in time for Totodile, who jumped out of the way of the powerful attack. It was in good riddance too, since the powerful stream of water released from Blastoise's Canons hit a medium sized boulder, crushing it without any effort.

Blastoise however didn't want to give any space to the Gator Pokémon and immediately attacked with a _Rapid spin._ Its body recoiled back into its shell and it jumped into the air. Instead of falling down, the shell started rotating an inhuman speed and moved towards a panicking Totodile.

'_Damn! Blastoise's size is too large for Totodile to effectively dodge and his body is too small to continue after being hit by such an attack so what we have to do is...' "_Totodile, use _Bubble Beam _to create a protective wall around you!"

Totodile immediately used _Bubble Beam _in the way I said him to. With the wall of protective explosive Bubbles around Totodile, Blastoise's momentum gained _Rapid spin _could not be stopped and hit the Explosive Wall, only Blastoise's hard shell and Water typing protecting it from major injury.

Totodile smirked in satisfaction, until he saw that Blastoise's until now friendly face was turned into a lot more serious look. On one hand, it raised Totodile's warrior pride, on the other his common sense yelled at him to forfeit. But alas, Totodile was a predator, he didn't quit, not never.

"Totodile, use _Slash!" _I cursed in my mind for letting Totodile continue with such a weak moveset, but this just motivated me further to help the little guy.

Totodile rushed towards Blastoise as fast as he could, his claws glowing and growing larger, just as he entered into attacking range, Blastoise sprang into action and aimed a water gun at Totodile, but Totodile was nimble enough to dodge and attacked with Slash attack on Blastoise's leg, weakening it immensely due to the unprepared attack.

"Now finish this Totodile, use Aqua Tail!" I yelled as I saw an actual opening for Totodile to win!

Blastoise however had enough of this farce. Just as Totodile landed a few metres away from him, Blastoise opened his mouth wide and prepared a glowing blue ball of large proportions. '_Shit! Hydro Canon!' Hydro Canon_ was the strongest water type move with the most amount of damage done. Instead of _Hydro pump_, where a continuous stream of extremely fast moving water was released, _Hydro Canon_ created a sphere of all that fast moving water, creating a condensed ball with pressure enough to bring down a Plane.

"NO! TOTODILE DODGE!" I tried to warn Totodile, but no avail.

Totodile only had enough time to raise its prepared Aqua Tail to lessen the force impact before the powerful attack hit its mark. A large amount of Smoke was created from the explosion due to the clash between Hydro Canon and Aqua Tail. Every one of the Pokémon watched in attention to see whether Totodile had actually been able to pull over after an attack like that.

When the smoke cleared, Totodile was clearly lying face down in a lot of pain, but not defeated yet. Whereas Blastoise was merely a bit frazzled. It was clear to everyone who was the winner, but I cannot let that happen now, can I?

"Totodile, can you get up? I know you can buddy!" I tried to cheer up my Pokémon. Blastoise merely scoffed and turned away, not noticing Totodiles's lone open eye.

"To...to" Totodile weakly muttered as he got up on one knee, severely weaken, but still in the game. Most of the Pokémon looked in respect towards the little Croc.

Blastoise merely shook his head and readied his Canons for a _Water Gun_, using _Hydro Pump_ at this point would be a waste of his abilities. But it was then that Totodile stood up completely and opened his Jaw's wide.

"To...To...DILE!" Totodile yelled as he was covered in a bright light head to toe. '_Totodile's evolving!'_ I thought in excitement.

Just as the light died down, in the place of Totodile stood a Pokémon fairly similar looking to him. The new Pokémon had jaws even bigger than his pre-evolution and the under jaw was of a yellow colour. The Pokémon had red fin like structures on its back and head and sharp white teeth. The Pokémon also had a larger build than Totodile, similar to how Cyndaquill's size had increased when he evolved in Quilava.

"CROCONAWWW!" The new Pokémon yelled his name in triumph.

I grinned "Alright! You evolved Totodile!" I pointed my Pokedex at him, seeing as my new XtremeDex was still at Oak's.

"_**Croconaw"**_

"_**Once it bites down, it won't let go until it loses its fangs. New fangs quickly grow into place."**_

I congratulated my new Pokémon, but just as I got ready to issue a new set of commands to the newly evolved Croconaw, Croconaw headed towards Blastoise and held out his hand. Initially looking confused, Blastoise shook his hands after a few words between them.

I stood confused, until Professor Oak's voice cut through the air. "When a Pokémon comes close to evolving, it may demand such battles Ash."

"Huh? You mean Totodile knew he could lose?" I asked in an incredulous tone, and much to my astonishment Professor Oak nodded.

"Indeed Ash, Pokémon usually evolve when they are at the last legs of their energy and are mature enough to evolve. Also, the Pokémon must have through a longer battle, so that the enzymes catalyzing the cellular mutation throughout the body of the evolving Pokémon can be manifested in a larger amount. You see Ash, whenever humans or Pokémon are at their last vestiges of energy and their emotions are running high, an enzyme called adrenalin is secreted which gives us a instant shot of energy, and in the case of a mature Pokémon, it catalyses the Evolution. Totodile had been mature since a long time, it only needed that edge which he got from his overly disadvantaged battle today, to win." Professor Oak explained further.

"Ah." I nodded my head in understanding, even though most of it went over my head.

"So I see that Squirtle's evolved." Professor oak said with an appraising look as he analyzed the final form of one of the Kanto Starters.

"Yeah, Officer Jenny said that some emergency came up and the only way to save the day was for Squirtle to evolve. And when he evolved once, all his inhibitions about evolving went away and he evolved once more into Blastoise." I explained to Professor Oak, who nodded in understanding and walked towards some of the other areas in his ranch

As I continue to observe all of Pokémon, Professor Oak's voice raised once again. "And Ash...a..you might want to go to your home as fast as you can, you mother was getting awfully...worried."

I paled. I had totally forgotten to tell Mom about me going out to get back Pidgeot and Squirt- Blastoise.

'_Shit'_

**XXX**

"Ow! Mom, I said I'm sorry!" I tried to cover my head as Mom hit me once more with her wooden spoon.

"'Sorry' doesn't cut it young man! Did you know how worried I was when I saw you flying on Charizard? You could have fell Ash!" Delia scolded.

"But I didn't Mom, so it's OK!" I lied.

Mom finally relented. "Ok, I forgive you this time Ash, but please never do such a thing again. Now be a dear and go call the girls' downstairs, dinner is ready."

"Yes Mom." It was then that I remembered I had not seen any of my friends today. I happily made my way up the stairs and knocked on the door of my room. Truth be told, I was still a bit angry to not being let to sleep in my room. Sleeping in a room built for a single person with two other grown up guys wasn't exactly my idea of comfort.

Opening the door and seeing my_ hidden_ PokeToys not being so hidden anymore probably contributed to that.

**XXX**

The dinner went on nicely. Delia had bought a larger Dinner Table in the recent years, so there was no problem in the seating arrangements. Things looked to be going on nicely, but there were a few oddities, which only few noticed.

Dawn and Misty shuffled nervously as Brock looked at them with a knowing glint in his eyes. May and Ash kept on eating obliviously, when food is involved, both of them could be considered dead from the world.

"So...where were you today Ash? I'm sure the girls must have missed you..." Brock said, making the three girls stiffen in shock. How the hell did Brock know!?

Ash didn't notice anything, he just wiped his mouth and started speaking. "You wouldn't believe it guys, especially you, Misty!"

"H-huh me?" Misty asked.

"Yeah, remember what I told you about the Champion's League? Well I decided to get back a few of my older Pokémon and guess who I got back?" Ash asked as he wiggled his eyebrows.

Misty hummed in thought. "Is it Squirtle...or Primeape maybe?" She said as she remembered the hot-headed Pig Monkey Pokémon. Now _that_ had been one troublesome Pokémon.

Ash grinned. "You got the first part right Mist, but the second Pokémon I got back was the one you liked to tease me the most about." Ash didn't notice how tinge of red arose to Misty's cheeks when he called her _Mist_.

Misty cursed herself. Just what was she doing getting flustered at such little things!? She was not a high school fangirl dammit! "I really don't remember Ash." She said.

Ash's brows furrowed "Whaat! Why? Why don't you remember!?" He asked in anger.

Misty flustered nature disappeared and a tick mark grew on her forehead. "Well I'm sorry I don't remember something from **6 years **ago!" She said sarcastically.

Unfortunately Ash didn't notice. "Well you should be! The number of times you teased me about it was ridiculous in itself. But I think I can forgive you."

A tick mark grew on Misty's forehead, her hand reached towards her back where her trusty Mallet was ready. "I was being sarcastic you idiot!"

Ash's mouth opened to retort, but the only thing that came out was. "You were? I didn't notice."

Almost everyone face-faulted at the table.

"Ashy, I think it would be better if you just tell everyone." Delia said with soft voice to her son. His arguments with Misty were so random and high in number that even she had grown tired of stopping them.

"Oh Ok!" Ash's previous cheerful demeanour returned. "It was Pidgeot!" He announced, causing Brock's and Misty's eyes to widen.

"NO WAY!" Brock said with a unbelieving smile. "Hadn't Pidgeot stayed back for protecting the Pidgey and Pidgeotto in the forest?" Brock asked. He remembered Pidgeotto from way back when Ash first challenged his Gym.

"Well, it turns out that the Fearow was captured by some trainer, so there wasn't any need for Pidgeot to remain back in the forest." Ash explained.

"HUH! Fearow was captured!? Who was stupid enough to do such a thing?" Misty asked incredulously. The Viridian Forest Fearow had become feared name among Pokémon trainers travelling through the forest. The Fearow had intense hatred for any humans or Pokémon of other species. The League had even passed a preliminary decision to get one of the Elites capture and train it. The main reason being that Viridian Forest was a path taken by many trainers and researchers to get to Pallet Town, which was famous for being Professor Oak's hometown and base.

"What's so special about this Fearow Ash?" Dawn asked in confusion.

"I didn't tell you, did I?" Ash smiled nostalgically as he began telling the three girls, May, Dawn and Iris, the story of the first day of his Pokémon Journey. Even Delia listened. Although she had known that her son had almost gotten heavily injured on his first day, she didn't know the full story.

"NO WAY! Pikachu didn't listen to _you!?" _ Cilan asked in a shocked voice. Pikachu and were so close, it was as if they were brothers. He couldn't have been able to imagine Pikachu turning on Ash if he had not seen it herself during the time he met that crazy scientist Colress. Team Plasma had designed a machine which could make even the loyalist of Pokémon turn on their own trainers, leaving such trainers defenceless from protecting themselves and their Pokémon from Team Plasma.

Ash chuckled "Yeah. When I had gotten Pikachu, he didn't listen to me at all! I had to tie him up with a rope and use rubber gloves to pull him with me!" Dawn, May and Iris's jaw dropped a that, while Delia remembered the day with a smile. Cilan was the most surprised, he had never thought that Ash and Pikachu were once a flavour so bad.

"And as you can imagine, I wanted to catch new Pokémon. So I decide to do it myself, without the help of Pikachu. I tried to capture a Pidgey with my jacket, but it flew away." Ash said, dejected at his first failure.

Almost everyone stifled their laughter at that.

"And after that I threw a stone at what I thought was another Pidgey, but instead, it turned out to be a Spearow." Ash continued.

"Well, that wouldn't have turned out nice." May deadpanned. During her journeys through Kanto and Johto, she had her fair share of meeting with enraged Spearow's.

Ash snorted, that was a understatement if there ever was one."Yeah." He then continued "So that one Spearow got his entire flock chasing after me and Pikachu. After running for a while, we reached a dead end, only there was a waterfall in front of me."

"So did Pikachu start listening to you and drive those Spearow away?" May asked. It was after all the most logical answer.

But Ash Ketchum and logical don't work well together "Nah. Me and Pikachu jumped into the waterfall." Ash said rather casually.

"**WHAT!" **A unified voice came from everyone on the table. May, Dawn and Iris couldn't believe what their crush/friend had done. Brock was shocked, but he shouldn't have been after being on so many adventures with Ash. Misty for her part was terrified, she had though that Ash had fallen into the river some way below, but to jump down a water fall!?

But Delia.

"ASH KETCHUM! HOW DARE YOU DO SOMETHING SO RECKLESS!" Delia screamed at her son with such rage it almost made him pee his pants.

"C-Calm down Mom." After a few minutes in which Ash calmly promised his Mom that he wouldn't get into any similar trouble anytime soon, he continued.

"And I'll really be honest guys, I thought that was it for me, but Misty saved my life." Ash looked with a warm smile towards Misty, who blushed a bit at the sincere expression.

"_Tsundere." _ Iris whispered mischievously to Misty, who levelled a glare at the purple haired girl.

"After that, I stole Misty's bike and almost escaped from the Spearow's. But unfortunately they caught up with us and we fell down. A thunderstorm had also started by this point." Ash said in a sombre tone.

Dawn gasped "What happened then Ash?" She had gotten very into this story. She never knew Ash's first day was so incredibly dangerous.

Ash grinned as he told his friends the story of the first day of his Pokémon journey..

**XXX**

_**6 years ago...**_

"_We're almost there!" Ash shouted as he held his head down and pedalled faster than he had ever before._

_But suddenly, the front tire of the bike hit a stray rock, and Ash and Pikachu crashed to the ground. Skidding for a few feet, the bike landed a few metres ahead of the duo, closing off any chance for them to try to escape._

_Ash was bleeding. He bleeded from the many cuts and bruises on his body, but no, that wasn't the source for his worry. At the moment, the future Pokémon Master to be had just one thing on his mind._

'_Pikachu! Pikachu, this can't...happen.' Ash thought desperately as he looked at the fallen form of the Yellow coloured Electric Mouse. _

"_Pikachu, get inside..." Ash whispered to his wide eyed Pokémon. With a trembling hand, Ash put Pikachu's Pokeball in front of the Pokémon, who looked at the ball with fear in his eyes._

"_I know you're afraid of going in there, but if you're inside maybe... maybe I can save you." Ash continued as Pikachu looked at him with utter shock and disbelief. "Please, Pikachu, please listen to me and go inside. After that then..." Ash gave a mirthless chuckle. But Pikachu couldn't help but... but __**believe **__in the words of human in front of him. _

_Ash looked at Pikachu with steeled brown eyes, the fear replaced by confidence. "After that, just trust me."_

_By this time, the Spearows had gathered over the fallen forms of Ash and Pikachu. Looking with bloodthirsty eyes towards the duo, the Spearow grinned at the prospect of an easy victory._

_But much to their shock, the human in front of them got up... weakly and with many trembles, but got up none the less._

_Ash looked up at the Spearows with confident brown eyes. Lightning sparked across the skies, showering momentary light upon Ash."Spearows, do you know I am? I'm Ash from the town of Pallet! I am destined to be the world's number one Pokémon master. I can't be defeated by the likes of you! I'm going to capture and defeat you all. You hear me?" Ash then looked back at Pikachu, who stared wide eyed at the scene "Go inside the Pokeball, it's the only way!" He then turned back to the Spearows, spreading his hands to protect Pikachu. "Come and get me!"_

_The Spearow charged at Ash after his declaration, intent of ripping him from limb to limb. But Pikachu... Pikachu had had enough._

_Adrenalin rushing through his veins, Pikachu jumped up on Ash's shoulder, and used the momentum to get in between the charging Spearows and his Trainer. Giving a mighty battle cry, Pikachu excluded all of the Electricity present in its body in one mighty Thunderbolt._

"_**P-I-K-A-C-H-U!" **_

_A lightning bolt fell from the sky onto Pikachu, amplifying his power even further. The Thunderbolt hit the flock of Spearows with the sound resembling the going off of a canon, and roasted them to the very bone..._

**XXX**

"It was almost as if the Lightning had fallen from the sky itself! The Spearow and Misty's Bike were roasted by it. After that, I and Pikachu woke up in the Pokémon Centre. And so, the Fearow was the same Spearow I had hit way back on my first day." Ash finished.

Everyone on the table looked at Ash with wide eyes, unable to comprehend what he had just told them.

After several moments filled with silence, it was Cilan who was the first to speak up. "Wow. No wonder the bond between you and Pikachu is so strong..."

"Goddamn Ash... I don't think I know anyone else who has had such an intense start to their Pokémon Journey." Brock said with uttermost seriousness.

"And you haven't returned me that bike till this date Ash Ketchum!" Misty yelled at Ash, sudden memories of her beloved bike flashing in her mind. Although anyone hearing her could understand that she was speaking so to reduce the tension.

Ash grimaced. '_Damn. She still remembers that thing?'_ "Well Nurse Jo-" Ash was cut off as May joined the fray.

"Hold on. Ash ruined you bike too Misty?" May asked in a surprised tone.

'_Shit! May remembers? Hmm...of course she does, she guilt tripped me into letting her come along after all!' _Ash thought to himself while a few beads of sweat made their way on his face.

"My too? What do you me-" This time it was Misty who was cut by Dawn, whose eyes had widened in surprise.

"You two? Your Bike's were also ruined by Ash?" Dawn's voice rang out.

'_This is bad...! Although Dawn wasn't angry with me when she talked about it, so it's a bit OK.' _Ash thought in slight relief, at least he won't get much heat from Dawn!

"So all three of us had their bikes ruined by Ash?" Misty asked the two other girls, who got amused smiles on their faces.

"So how was your Bike ruined?" Misty asked.

"_PIKACHU!" _ Both of them said. All three girls began grinding their teeth at the memory of their bikes.

"Ash Ketch- huh? Where is he?" By this time Ash had truly noted the deep shit he was in and promptly escaped with his tail between his legs.

"Damn that guy! So has Ash returned either one of your bikes?" Dawn asked the other two girls, who shook their heads in anger.

"Mine was repaired by Nurse Joy, but the cheapskate didn't even pay for it!" Misty said as she punched her fist.

Delia had promptly made her way out in the time the girls were arguing. She had no desire to pay for three expensive Bikes. Brock had also gotten out, lest the girls turn their anger on him. After all, he was the one guy who had travelled with Ash for all the regions bar Unova. Cilan made a flimsy excuse of _tasting_ the night air and made his way out.

It was then that the three girls remembered their purple haired companion. "And what about you Iris? Did he ruin your bike too?" Dawn asked.

Iris grit her teeth in anger after remembering the day she first met Ash. "No! He somehow thought I was a Pokémon and attacked me with Pikachu!" She said in anger. But her answer shocked the three girls in silence, before they started laughing uncontrollably.

"HAHA! Looks like we all had our unique way of meeting Ash." Dawn said with a fond smile as she chuckled along with the other girls.

"Yeah. But that does not mean he can escape forever, he had to give our bikes back some way or the other!" May said with resolve, which was agreed by Misty. But not Dawn.

"Um...I kinda forgave him guys. He rescued me and the bike was toasted in that process, so it's alright if he doesn't return it, I don't mind." Dawn said with a smile. Not that she would ever force him to do such a thing.

Unfortunately, she had forgotten that the purple haired menace, Iris was still present on the table. "Wow Dawn, you instantly gain +10 points!" Iris exclaimed.

"Huh? Points for what?" It was May who asked.

"Why of course for the 'Who Likes Ash the Most!' competition!" Iris said brightly as her new friends sputtered, Misty nearly choked on the water she was drinking.

'_Maybe telling Iris wasn't such a good thing after all.'_ This was the collective thought of three other girls.

**XXX**

**POKESPEECH ACTIVATED**

"_You just had to do it." _Bulbasaur muttered as he looked at Blastoise. Charizard, Pikachu and Pidgeot stood nearby.

"_Huh? Had to do what?" _Blastoise tilted his head in confusion as he looked at his oldest friends.

"_No, you just had to go and fucking do it." _Bulbasaur muttered again.

_Now_ Blastoise looked at the others_. "Yo dudes, you gonna tell me what's up with Bulbasaur? He ain't one to curse." _It was true, for as long as anyone had known Bulbasaur, he had been a diplomatic and level headed person, he never cursed.

"_It's complicated man." _Pikachu explained half-heartedly as he rubbed his forehead. Pikachu really didn't understand how things escalated to such a shitty level so quick. It was just yesterday that he was getting so excited to gather all of his friends in one place, and now this happens. He really didn't want to relive the sad moments of yesterday.

"_What's complicated Pikachu? I have been confused by Bulbasaur's mood too. I have never seen him so down before. And you too Charizard, explain something. Heck, not even Muk and Kingler said anything!" _Pidgeot said incredulously as he looked at his best friends. What he had expected to be a peaceful and adventurous meeting with his old and new friends was turning into a not-so-fun affair very quickly.

"_All right, All right!" _Charizard growled out. He was getting annoyed by their constant nitpicking, but then again, being their oldest friends, they really had a right to know. He just wished Butterfree was here, the bug always explained everything patiently to anyone who asked.

"_Look, the matter is that Bulbasaur was dumped by his bitch of a girlfriend yesterday because her vagina got too large for Bulbasaur to fuck, and if that wasn't enough she then mind raped Bulbasaur to try to make him evolve and get his dick larger, happy!?"_As Charizard finished, Pikachu and Bulbasaur looked at him incredulously, while Blastoise and Pidgeot had a _**'What the Fucking Fuck?'**_ look on their faces.

"_What!? I'm saying as I saw it." _Charizard huffed as he turned away.

"_The fuck you talking about dude! Bulbasaur had a girlfriend?" _Blastoise yelled in shock.

"_Yeah, May's Bulbasaur." _Pikachu explained.

"_And her vagina got larger...so she evolved into a Venasaur?" _Pidgeot asked, being the most deductive of the five.

"_Yeah." _Pikachu said. The Five friends stood in silence as they mused over the words and facts they had come across.

"_But that still don't explain why Bulb's mad at me." _Blastoise said, which made the other's face-palm.

"_Urgh. Even after evolving you're just as moronic as ever. You moron, he and you were the ones who had decided not to evolve, remember." _Charizard said in exasperation.

"_Oh." _Was the only thing Blastoise said as he remembered the promise he made on a whim a long time ago.

"_Well, it's not really that bad Bulbasaur. You may feel a bit weird for some time after evolving, but eventually the better points overcome those." _Pidgeot tried to explain to Bulbasaur as best as could.

Bulbasaur took this in and looked at Blastoise, who stared back_. "It's you decision Bulbasaur. Evolving has it's perks and cons. You will become a bit slower, but then again, you will have much more power. But ultimately it's your decision, so think about it alright?" _Blastoise said as he put on his glasses and moved away. The new Krookodile interested him; both of them had similar style statements and were not afraid to show it.

Charizard and Pidgeot flew away, leaving Pikachu and Bulbasaur alone in the clearing.

"_So what about you Pikachu, what do you think?" _Bulbasaur pressed on to Pikachu, who shuffled nervously, knowing that his answer will carry a lot of weight.

"_First of all, you must understand that my and your situation is quite different Bulbasaur. I have actually evolved once, from a little Pichu. The amount of control and increase in amount of power that I got was simply immense, no doubt about it. And I also know that evolving into a Raichu will make me even more powerful, but that's not something bad, is it?"_

"_The reason I don't want to evolve is because of my battle style. I rely so much on speed and quick movements to defeat my opponents, that to evolve into a bulky Raichu will never really help me improve, rather it will cause me and Ash an unnecessary menace."_

"_While you Bulbasaur, on the other hand, still have your minuscule energy reserves. For you Bulbasaur, as much as it pains me to say it, it's really a matter of pride rather than practicality. Evolving into at least Ivysaur will help you much more than hamper you. But just as Blastoise said, it's you decision."_

Bulbasaur didn't say anything, just took in everything Pikachu said. Just as Pikachu started to move away, he turned around to finish.

"_I hope that you don't hate me for what I have told you Bulbasaur. And also know this... All of us, including Ash, will stand with you, no matter what decision you make. Remember the code Bulbasaur, __**'Bros before hoes'**__... always." _Pikachu said in a firm tone as he used Agility to vanish. Buneary and Glaceon seemed awfully excited to meet him, he wondered why.

Bulbasaur sat in the lonely place, his mind whirring in a hundred different directions. He never noticed the large figure sadly watching him from behind the trees.

**XXX**

**A/N:** The things which Iris said to the three girls...Well, let's just leave that to your imagination shall we?

I hope that you enjoyed the new chapter guys. Blastoise and Pidgeot are back and so will be a few of the others in the following chapters. Rest assured, they will be coming soon. **I will also appreciate it if you guys give me a few suggestions for what Pokémon Ash should catch. I will leave two of the Pokémon to you**. Just review your choices and tell me which Pokémon, and why?

I am really enjoying writing this story, more than I had thought I will. I hope that you guys also like the story and if not, please tell me why so that I can improve my writing skills.

Tango Charlie out.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Heeeeeeeereeeeeessss the new Chapter!**

**Also, I do not own Pokémon, but I am going to war for the ownership, support me, my loyal readers!**

**XXX**

"Buizel, use _Aqua jet_!" A raven haired boy, 16 years old, commanded as a predominantly Orange colored Otter Pokémon yelled in agreement. The said Pokémon was immediately covered in a layer of water as it shot towards its opponent like a bullet from a gun. The tails present on the back of Buizel rotated just as the propeller of a motor boat, enhancing the speed. Aqua Jet, just as Flare Blitz and Wild Charge, was not just a move effective against weaker types, its physical nature also allowed for more damage to be done even to the types resistant to water.

"Quick! Starmie, use _Thunderbolt_!" Misty's hair was in her usual style of a side ponytail which stuck out on the left side of her head. A dual 5 pointed star-shaped Pokémon stood in front of her. The second star present on the back of the Pokémon started spinning wildly as a paralyzing bolt of Thunder was launched towards its disadvantaged opponent.

Ash grinned. "That's not gonna work against us Misty! Buizel, show them your speed!" Ash yelled in encouragement as Buizel smirked, expertly dodging all of the thunderbolts launched without much effort. Starmie kept trying to use _Thunderbolt_, but in a matter of seconds the powerful _Aqua Jet _reached the panicking Pokémon.

Buizel's _Aqua Jet_ was much more streamlined and faster than a natural _Aqua Jet_, seeing as Buizel had made it his trademark move. He intended to train enough to make it strong enough to be a one hit KO.

"No Starmie, try to dodge!" Misty yelled desperately, but due to Starmie using _Thunderbolts_ in quick succession, its speed was nicked and the powerful Aqua jet hit full force. Due to Starmie being a predominantly Water Type, using _Thunderbolt_ caused itself a minor backlash, reducing its speed. While _Thunderbolt_ was a great asset to the Water Type, no good things come without sacrifices, and in this case, Starmie's reflexes and speed.

As the _Aqua Jet_ hit, Starmie was launched backward with a pained cry as it hit a nearby boulder. The gem present on its centre started blinking and then duly turned dull, showing that Starmie was effectively knocked out.

"Quil, QUI...LAVA!" Quilava raised one of its hands, signifying Ash's victory. It seemed that Quilava had really gotten into his role as a referee and insisted on refereeing the match even today, _politely_ telling Brock to back off.

"ALL RIGHT! Yeah Buizel, we did it!" Ash yelled in triumph as he hugged Buizel, the water type not losing his cool posture and smirking slightly. "Pi Pikachu!" Pikachu congratulated his friend, which was responded by a subtle thumbs up.

Misty sighed. "Starmie, return. You did well." Misty soothed her Pokémon as she returned it to her Pokeball for healing.

"Nice battle Ash, you have really improved. Buizel's Aqua Jet was very fast." Misty said with a smile as she walked over to Ash and Buizel.

"Aw, thanks Misty! But it was Buizel who did the hard work!" Ash said as Buizel nodded his head, as if to say '_Damn right.'_

"Congratulations Buizel." Misty said as she kneeled down to inspect the Water Type, who looked a bit puzzled. Ash however, had prior knowledge of Misty's hyper love for Water Types and promptly made his way out, leaving Buizel on his own. '_Sorry buddy, but I can't tolerate another of Misty's 'How great are Water Pokémon' speeches.' _

Pikachu looked down at his trainer. Leaving Buizel, a Water Type not found in Kanto, in the hands of Misty? Cruel.

"Nice battle Ash!" Dawn cheered as she saw the black haired boy.

"Thanks Dawn" Ash said earnestly as he saw his bluenette friend enter " Buizel's and mine partnership has been great, you know. But he still misses you sometimes." Ash said as he looked at Dawn, who was sitting on the soft grass with Piplup on her lap.

Dawn sighed. "I miss him too sometimes. But it was for the best Ash, Buizel liked to battle and you were perfect for him, so no need to worry!" She finished with her trademark catchphrase as she and Ash chuckled.

It was then that three more figures made their way out. Two of them were young teenage girls, while the lone male in the centre being supported by the two girls was a brown haired young man Ash knew very well. But the most surprising thing was that his clothes were singed along with his hair and face.

"Whoa, Brock what happened to you!?" Ash asked in alarm as he and Dawn rushed to check on their friend. Quilava ran over too along with Buizel.

"We don't know. Me and Iris were just coming down to watch your match when we found Brock behind the bushes in this condition." May said sadly as she and Iris laid Brock out.

"I wonder who could do such a thing to Brock." Ash thought. It was at that moment that Brock's eyes started ope-...well they twitched, and he sat up.

"Maaaannn...what happened to me?" Brock asked with a groan as he looked over his condition.

"We found you behind the bushes Brock, can you remember who did it to you?" Iris asked in concern.

'_Hmmm...the last thing I remember is agreeing to referee Ash and Misty's match. After that I was making my way towards the open fields when..._

_**FLASHBACKURU NO JUTSU!**_

_Brock hummed as he made his way towards the slightly less vegetated areas on Oak Corral, where Ash and Misty were having a training match. Ash had asked him to referee the match just as he had throughout their journeys for unofficial matches._

_But just as he was about to turn into the path leading to the area, a friendly voice cut him off. _

"_QUILAVA LAVA!" Quilava- Ash's- made his way to him, smiling brightly with the flames on his back lighting gently._

_Brock smiled as he kneeled to pet the Pokémon. "Hey Quilava, how's it going?" Brock asked as Quilava yipped happily in response. Brock and Quilava stayed like that for a few minutes, before Brock stood up._

"_I would like to stay Quilava, but I have a match to referee between Ash and Misty. You can come along if you like." Brock offered kindly, but what he got in return wasn't the usual smiling face of the cute Pokémon, but an angry sneer._

_Gulping, Brock moved a bit back. "Um...Quilava? What's the matter little guy?" he asked a bit nervously._

_Quilava merely looked towards where Misty and Ash were, and shook his head. Being a Pokémon Doctor and Breeder, Brock quickly understood what Quilava was trying to say._

"_Huh? You don't want me to referee the match?" At an affirmative nod he asked again. "But why?" Was Quilava jealous of not participating in the battle?_

_Quilava smirked as he pointed to himself "Lava Quilava!" _

_Brock looked stunned "Huh? You want to referee!?" Quilava nodded again._

_Brock couldn't take it anymore, he started laughing wildly. "AAHAHAHAHA! Nice joke Quilava, as if- AGGGGHGHHHHHHH!" His laughter was cut abruptly as a Flamethrower and Tackle hit him, knocking him unconscious._

_The last thing Brock saw was the smirking face of Quilava. 'Damn you...'_

_**PRESENT TIMARU NO JUTSU!**_

'_Damn...so that's what happened. Well I'll get back on the rodent!' _Just as Brock opened his mouth to rat out Quilava, he suddenly noticed the very same Pokémon standing a bit back from the group, such that no one but him could see him. Quilava had a scary look on his face as his Flames grew even larger.

The message was clear, '_**Squeal, and you will regret.**__'_

Brock gulped as he turned away to lie to the group.

**XXX**

_**Sometime later...**_

_ASH POV_

As I looked over my horde of Pokémon training in the same way as we had been from the last 4 days, my heart swelled with pride for them. Each and every one of them had been taking the Training seriously and the results were already showing up a little. It was even more admirable with the knowledge that many of them hadn't trained with such intensity for _years._

Glailie's aerial manoeuvrability had improved much, so he could now levitate at a higher speed for more time, as well as twist and turn better. Heracross still hadn't got the hang of flying as well as the natural Flying types, but it was a work in progress. He did try to ditch the group to suck on Bulbasaur's nonexistent sap, but it was otherwise all right. I had assigned Snivy on duty to keep Bulbasaur and Heracross from fighting, and she was doing a fantastic job!

Snorlax had tried to cheat his way through many times, but after freezing my heart and denying him food until he had trained as much as the others, the problem was taken care of. Although, the pained and betrayed expression on Snorlax's face would haunt me for days to come.

I had also realised quite a few things in these four days after seeing my Pokémon train and reading a few books on battle tactics present in Professor's Library. For example, it wouldn't have mattered for how long I had made Torterra run. It's speed would never have been quite enough to cause any Elite Level trainer any problem. Torterra was a Pokémon built like a tank, and weighed like one too, so at most his stamina was being improved. But at the loss of speed, Torterra gained an unnatural Defence, so much so that a _Steel wing _might not even affect him much! Such Defences could be used to lure many opponents into traps, where Torterra's close range moves could get them.

Even though my Torterra wasn't quite that strong yet, I had told many Pokémon to use Physical Attacks like _Iron Tail_, _Mach Punch_ and _Steel Wing_ on Torterra's body. I made sure the attacks weren't full powered, yet. The results surprised everyone, even Torterra. Most of the moves didn't even graze Torterra, although the fully powered ones still affected him.

The natural endurance of his body was unmatched for most Pokémon, so it gave me a basic idea about the matches where I could use Torterra.

Pidgeot, Staraptor, Swellow, Unfezant and Gliscor were having an Aerial Race around the large field, with Swellow in the lead, but the other three close behind. Gliscor didn't have as much speed as them, seeing as he relied on the wind to increase his speed, but still gave them a fair amount of competition. I somehow had the feeling that Pidgeot might be holding back. Professor Oak informed me that Staraptor and Swellow used to have many such races, with Noctowl and Gliscor occasionally joining, even en before I made it part of the training regime.

Blastoise had taken Dewott as a sort of apprentice. They were training together for making their water type moves more powerful. It was obvious since that area of the field was quite drenched and a tree had toppled over due to a powerful Hydro Pump by Blastoise. Croconaw was testing out his new jaws quite enthusiastically; the result was many crushed rocks and boulders. I could only thank my lucky stars that Garchomp had more or less given up on crunching and smashing things with his jaws after evolving, Professor Oak wouldn't have been very happy to see his ranch torn up by his powerful jaws.

Speaking of Garchomp, he, Charizard and Iris's Dragonite were up in the air, in a different location from the flying types, and were just enjoying their free time. Even though Dragonite was Iris's Pokémon, he had taken to training under me very nicely. Dragonites have always been regarded as powerful battlers, so it was nice for my Pokémon to train with him too. And unlike Charizard, Garchomp didn't have an ego, so he asked for help from Dragonite once in a while. Garchomp was a newly evolved Pokémon, while Dragonite was a Pokémon who evolved to its final state in the wild, so it was safe to say that Dragonite was quite experienced.

Also, Iris and my other friends were taking this time to just relax and socialize, while I was the only one training seriously.

But in all of this, one Pokémon worried me the most. He didn't give it his all in training, he didn't talk with the others much, he didn't even pay attention to Heracross when he tried to suck his Bulb.

And that was saying something alright.

I walked over to the small Grass type starter from Kanto. "Hey Bulbasaur, what's the matter?" I asked as I sat near Bulbasaur.

Bulbasaur looked surprised, but nevertheless sat down near me, his sulking expression not leaving his face.

"So...what's the matter Bulbasaur?" I asked, hoping that I could understand what Bulbasaur might try to explain to me. It was frustrating sometimes to not understand what my Pokémon were trying to explain to me. Even though me and my Pokémon shared a very close bond, there was only so much we could communicate about with a language barrier.

Bulbasaur looked to the ground uneasily, internally debating what and how to tell his trainer, if at all. Eventually, Bulbasaur sighed and stood up. Satisfied that Ash's attention was on him, he used his Vines to first point towards himself and to May's Venasaur, who was resting a few ways back with Dawn's Mamoswine.

I watched with a frown as Bulbasaur pointed multiple times, first to himself and then May's Venasaur. "What about Venasaur?"

Bulbasaur sighed in exasperation. It was really annoying that they Pokémon could understand Human tongues somewhat, but Humans could not understand their language. Looking around the field briefly, his eyes fell on Croconaw. A figurative bulb lighting in his head, he dragged the newly evolved Pokémon with him towards Ash.

My brows scrunched up as I tried to understand the situation. Bulbasaur was now pointing towards himself, then Venasaur and then finally Croconaw.

"I think Bulbasaur is talking about evolution, Ash." Brock said as he came into view, apparently healed up from whatever happened to him.

I looked at Bulbasaur in confusion. Bulbasaur had the chance to evolve way back before I had even participated in the Indigo League, but had chosen not to, and I respected his decision. "Do you want to evolve Bulbasaur?" I asked.

Bulbasaur didn't say anything just shook his head in confusion. I picked up Bulbasaur and put him in my lap. "You don't need to evolve to become strong Bulbasaur. And you had decided to not evolve so long ago, remember? You are one my best Pokémon Bulbasaur, and it doesn't matter to me in the least whether you evolve or not." I said honestly to the little Grass type. It was true, I had never cared much whether my Pokémon evolved or not. Whenever they were ready and wanted to, they could. And if not, then that was fine with me too. Even though I want to be a Pokémon Master, it's not as I want to sacrifice my Pokémon's happiness for that. And besides, Pokémon could get strong without evolution, Pikachu was a great example for that.

But for some Pokémon, there wasn't a choice in it. In the case of Gible, it was a very big necessity. Just like the starting form of any of the Dragon Type Pokémon, Gible's body was built in a way that provided it many fundamental difficulties. Its hands being too short prevented much movement, and so evolving once to Gabite was very productive for him. There was a reason Dragon types battled so much in the wild, evolving was a necessity for survival in the wild and also to reach their true Dragon Potential.

Bulbasaur took it all in. Now that he knew for sure that Ash wouldn't be angry with him if he didn't evolve, much of the pressure was taken off. When Ash had announced to them that they will be facing many powerful trainers in one year, he had been worried over whether Ash may force him to evolve for power.

Bulbasaur mentally slapped himself, Ash wasn't one to think like that.

I looked at Bulbasaur, whose internal strife had somehow subsided, and gave him a bright smile. Bulbasaur mirrored my expression, before jumping off and running back to his designed training area, a new vigour in his steps.

"Do you really mean that Ash?" Brock asked he looked at his long time friend.

"Yeah, I do Brock. I have never forced my Pokémon to evolve, and I never will." I said with finality.

"But what about Garchomp, Ash? You saw how powerful he became after evolving, and since Bulbasaur's already so strong, just imagine the increase in power when he evolves into Ivysaur or Venasaur." Brock pressed on.

"But that was because Gible actually wanted to evolve Brock! If he didn't, I wouldn't have forced him." I said to Brock, who still didn't look convinced.

"What about the Champions League, Ash? Do you know how many trainers have been training for the last 10 years exclusively for that Championship? It's pretty safe to say their Pokémon will be at the peak of their power. And that's not even counting the Champions." Brock said. There was just something he wanted to know.

"Then me and my Pokémon will get stronger too." I said as I crossed my arms. "I won't get scared Brock. Even if we have to face Legendary Pokémon to win, we will. My Pokémon will become stronger the way they want, not the way everyone else says them to. I know about my Pokémon's strength and weaknesses, and I will work on them. But if Pokémon battles where just about evolution, why wouldn't someone just buy evolution stones of all types and get a fully evolved team? It won't work that way, that's why Brock. If Bulbasaur doesn't want to evolve, fine. We will train hard enough that he will not _need _to evolve." I said as Brock for some reason smiled slightly.

"That's what I wanted to hear Ash." Brock said as he clapped his hands on his friends shoulder.

"Huh?" What the hell was up with all that questioning then?

"Seeing you train so hard Ash, it felt to me that you were losing some of what made you into what you are today. I was afraid that in order to win the Champions league, you might take things to unwanted extremes. But now I am convinced that something like that won't happen." Brock said with a proud smile. Seeing Ash train so crazily in the past few days, both his Pokémon _and _his own body, Brock had been afraid that Ash might turn into a Paul II.

I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly. "As if! I will never do something like that Brock. But that doesn't mean I won't give it my all tow in this championship. This is my one chance for 10 years to achieve my dream, and I won't give up so easily!" I said as me and Brock walked back to my other friends.

Suddenly, a thought came to my mind. "Brock, where is Cilan? I haven't seen him for a while?"

Brock stopped cold in his place. "Cilan, eh...it's best if you don't know Ash." He said rather seriously and moved on, while I watched on in confusion.

**XXX**

"So you think you're better than me huh!?" Cilan asked heatedly as he stirred another pot at whirlpool speeds.

"Mime Mime MR. MIME!" Mr Mime glared back as he hurriedly put on some onions in a dish he was preparing.

Delia Ketchum sweatdropped from her position near the door to the kitchen. '_It's just like how Brock was, after returning from Professor Ivy's place.' _After being depressed for some unknown reason, Brock had run away from Professor Ivy's lab and came to Pallet Town. He and Mimey had entered a rivalry of making food while recovering from his trauma.

It had been troublesome, to say the least, for Delia Ketchum.

**XXX**

Gary groaned as he walked out of the Laboratory in his casual clothes. The past few days had been very hectic. With all the information gathered from Ash and his Pokedex, much of the scientific community had been shaken up. The discovery of Arceus actually being a real Pokémon, the matter of Lugia breeding, a whole group of Genesect apparently friends with Ash roaming around in the wild, and actual presence of Zekrom and Reshiram, had made both the Oak's into _very_ busy men.

Giratina and the reverse world had already been documented by a scientist in Sinnoh and these discoveries were given legitimacy by Professor Oak. The Legendaries didn't seem as much of a myth now as much as a reality.

It was not as if he had not seen his fair share of Legendaries, battling Team Galactic in Sinnoh helped him observe at least one, Azelf, very closely. And although he had monitored the disturbances presumed to have been caused by Dialga and Palkia, he had not had the chance to meet them up close and personal like Ash had on multiple occasions.

The reason why both the Professor's believed Ash so readily was because of the information gathered from his various Pokedexes. Samuel Oak had designed the Pokedex in such a manner that the camera used for scanning Pokémon could also be used as a recorder. Specifically, recorder for the times when some especially rare Pokémon is scanned. Professor Oak had never taken data from Ash's Pokedex till now, a fact Gary took great pleasure in chastisizing his grandpa about, so he never saw the mini recordings of the Legends being scanned by Ash.

These discoveries were being kept highly classified as of now, with only the Pokémon League and the regional Professors knowing about them. If the press got wind of the information...

...well, let's just say Ash would have been a _veeeryyy busy_ man...for _a looong_ time.

His work load had increased by so much that he hadn't even had the time to socialize with the various hot girls Ash had befriended in the multiple regions! It was in times like these that he envied Ash for continuing as a Pokémon trainer. The thrill of adventure could never be replicated in his capacity as a researcher.

So with that thought in mind, Gary Oak, womanizer extraordinaire, made his way to the four conversing girls, standing conveniently in the middle of a field.

"Heya ladies." Gary said as he neared the group of 4, who turned around to see the new entry. Of the four, only Iris was the one completely stranger to him, the rest he had met briefly during the years they had travelled with Ash. He had to admit, Ash had a great taste in women. Each of the girls he had chosen to travel with was a complete babe.

"Hi Gary." Misty, May and Dawn greeted the brown haired boy. Misty's opinion of Gary had changed a lot since his personality change. While she had hated him before for constantly bullying and putting down Ash, Gary's defeat in the Indigo League had really changed him.

May and Dawn had only met the polite and researcher Gary, so they didn't have any conflicting thoughts about him.

"So you're Gary Oak huh?" Iris said as she stuck out a hand. She had heard about Gary in passing from Ash when he talked about his Charizard's past battles.

"And you must be Iris, nice to meet you." Gary said as he flicked his hair and shook her hands.

"So Gary, what have you been up to lately?" May asked. Since Ash and co. Arrived in Pallet, no one had seen Gary for much. He had been pretty much locked up in the lab.

Gary's good mood dampened a bit at the reminder. "Ah, don't remind me. The work has increased so much in the last few days that I haven't had much time to do anything." He said as he tiredly ran his hands through his hair.

The girls nodded, but did not comment on anything.

Sensing an awkward situation coming up, Gary quickly asked "So where's Ashy boy?"

Misty inclined her head "Well, after our practise battle in the morning, Ash went with his Pokémon to continue some training regime he has made up. So my best guess will be that he is still there."

"So training eh...Can't blame him, what with the Champions League coming up and all." Gary knew that Ash would be giving his all for the upcoming competition. "So what about you four?"

"What about us?" Dawn asked in confusion.

"Well...the Champions League is open to everyone this time, so are you four thinking of competing?" Gary asked. The Champions League was a very prestigious event, and with its new format this year, only a very stupid person will reject the chance to take part in it.

Iris, Dawn and May looked at each other with sheepish looks, they hadn't really thought this through. But Misty was Crystal Clear in her decision.

"Of course, as the Gym Leader of Cerulean City, it's my obligation to compete. And it would be a great stage to test out my capabilities against the best trainers." Misty said with vigour. '_Heck, I might get the chance to battle Wallace!' _The thought itself made Misty's excite-meter go wild. Wallace was widely known as the best Water Type Pokémon Trainer in the world. So for Misty, whose dream is to become a Water Type Master, facing and possibly defeating Wallace was the stuff of dreams.

"I don't really have a full team now, so I don't really know." Iris said honestly. She only had Excadrill, Dragonite, Emolga and Axew. That wasn't even six, and from what she had gathered about the competition, she would need two complete teams, if only due to the sheer number of battles.

May put her hand on Iris's shoulder in support. "Don't worry Iris, there is still a full year for you to catch more Pokémon." She said kindly. "And as for me, if I don't compete, Max and Dad won't let me hear the end of it, so I most probably will. And I think most of my rivals will too, so that makes it even _more _important for me to take part." May said as the thought about her rivals came into her mind.

"And not to mention, the Contests and Gyms have been closed for the entire year, so there isn't a choice, really." She added as an afterthought.

Everyone turned their heads towards the last girl, who looked at them in confusion.

"What?" Dawn asked blankly.

"Are you going to compete?" Gary asked.

Dawn flushed. "W-Well, I have not thought about it till now. Originally I was going to go to cheer for Ash, but I think I will take part too." '_Not to mention Kenny, Zoey and Ursula may compete too.'_

But Gary, being who he was, focused on the first part of her reply. "So...gonna cheer for Ash huh." He said with a sly grin, which was not taken notice of by the Bluenette.

"Of course! I cheered for Ash in the Sinnoh League and in his Gym Battles, so there's no way I'm _not_ gonna cheer for him at the Champions League!" Dawn exclaimed cheerfully.

May appeared a bit lost. "Wait a minute, what's so special about Dawn cheering Ash? We all cheered him on when we travelled with him." May asked. It was true, she, Max and Brock supported Ash in the Hoenn League and the Battle Frontier.

"Oh, so you didn't know? Dawn's cheering for Ash was a bit _special._" Gary said, making Misty, May and Iris even more confused.

"How so?" Misty asked.

"Dawn here apparently dressed up in a cheerleading attire along with her Buneary." Gary said as his eyebrows wiggled comically. The other three girls looked on in surprise towards Dawn who rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.

"Well, I liked to dress up, that's all!" Dawn explained. The trio didn't really look convinced. The truth was, Dawn had heard about Gary's cheerleader from Ash. Apparently, this annoyed him. Dawn mistook it to Ash being jealous and thus donned her own Cheerleading outfit for him. It was just a thing she had done for Ash as a friend, romantic feelings hadn't developed back then.

And the first part was true too; dressing up was Dawn's favourite hobby before she started her journey. It was only due to her Mom that she hadn't left with a ridiculous bag full of clothes.

"You know Dawn, you might have just fulfilled one of Ashy Boys childhood fantasies." Gary commented lightly as the girls looked on in confusion. That had been happening a lot lately.

"When we had just left on our journeys, I had a group of cheerleaders with me. So it was safe to say that Ash was _very _jealous. So your becoming his personal cheerleader must have made him very happy." Gary explained further.

Iris looked at Dawn with a smile. "Wow Dawn! You are just gathering up points aren't you? That's another 10 for you!" Iris said. Now it was Gary's time to be confused.

"Huh? 10 points? For what?" Gary asked on in intrigue as May, Misty and Dawn's eyes widened in terror.

Iris didn't look worried in the least. "Why of course! For the 'Who-" She wasn't able to finish her sentence as the three girls pounced on her. Misty, May and Dawn's hands were on her mouth as muffled sounds came out.

"Oh just look at the time! We have to go to Mrs. Ketchum's house!" Misty exclaimed as she looked at Iris with a twitching eye.

"Heh-Heh, we are already late, let's hurry!" May exclaimed as she hoisted up iris.

"Nice meeting you Gary, but we gotta go now!" Dawn said with a nervous laugh as she pushed Gary away.

Gary Oak, one of the youngest and smartest researchers's of all time, watched on in confusion as Misty, May and Dawn ran away, with Iris being supported off the ground and her mouth still sealed up. He could have sworn a tint of blue started to appear in her dark skin

**XXX**

"What...was...that...for!" Iris asked with as much anger as she could muster as she took in huge gulps of air. Misty had sealed her mouth a little bit too tightly.

Misty looked at Iris with a serious glare. "That's what _we_ want to ask _you_, Iris! What the heck were you doing!?"

"You can't just give out our secret to anyone Iris! Don't you know how embarrassing could it be!?" May asked with a angry look.

"And Gary is like Ash's best friend! Can you even imagine if Ash comes to know all this!?" Dawn nearly screamed.

"Alright, Alright. I understand it. I won't tell anyone." Iris said as she attempted to calm down the furious girls.

"You don't understand Iris. It's not just something we can say every time in the open, you know!" May was still a bit angry.

Iris sighed. "Okay you guys. I get it, not a word to anyone. Okay?" She asked, making the three girls nod in affirmative.

"So...are you all up for some training? I think we have relaxed more than enough, and if we are to take part in the completion as well, then we need to be prepared too." Misty said as she walked out of the area and towards the pond, where most of her Pokémon were. Her match with Ash in the morning had fired her up; another practise match would be all right.

**XXX**

_Ash POV_

"Ready to be defeated once more Gary?" I taunted my oldest friend as he and I faced each other, Pokeballs in hand. Gary had come out of nowhere and challenged me to a battle. Being who I am, I couldn't possibly decline.

"Right back at'cha Ashy Boy." Gary's confident smirk was ever present on his face as he kissed his Pokeball before throwing it.

"Electivire, time for battle!" A yellow humanoid creature appeared, with black stripes covering most of its body and two tails swinging behind its back. Electivire gave a toothy grin as took a battle ready stance.

"Electivire huh. Well, I choose you Pikachu!" Pikachu enthusiastically jumped down from my shoulder, electricity sparkling from its cheeks. Electivire's _Motor Drive_ ability will make most of Pikachu's Electric Type moves useless, even counterproductive; I knew that much from battling with Paul. But there is more to Pikachu than just Electric type moves.

Plus, the bragging rights if I win against Gary with Pikachu are more than enough to give it a try.

"Pika!" Looked like Pikachu was hyped up too.

"Electric vs. Electric? Fine with us, Electivire start things off with a _Fire Punch_!" Gary commanded to his second strongest Pokémon.

Electivire wasted no time in following the order as its fist got covered in a fiery aura. Electivire charged towards Pikachu whose muscles tensed as it prepared to follow whatever Ash came up with.

"_Fire Punch."_ This was definitely a surprise. Gary must have been training all this while for Electivire to learn a Fire type move. But no need to worry "Pikachu, use _Agility_ to dodge!"

Electivire, despite being large, was no slouch himself. But when Pikachu altogether disappeared from his sight, he definitely was shocked. As was his trainer.

Gary's eyes widened, that was some scary speed from Pikachu right there. "Electivire, keep a look out for Pikachu!" He commanded hastily.

"Pikachu, now use _Agility_ continuously to hit Electivire!" I yelled from my corner. I have full belief in Pikachu's speed. He had been training with Sceptile after all.

"Chu!" Pikachu appeared from out of nowhere as he tried to his fellow Electric type in the gut. But Electivire was no rookie, and expertly dodged attack, grinning in the momentary victory. Not even resting for a second, he dodged a second and a third attack. Gary smirked '_Agility has been used three times now Ashy boy. What are you gonna do now?'_

"Electivire is as speedy as he is strong Ash, don't underes- WHAT THE!" Gary's voice rose as Electivire suddenly lurched forward, and then in many different directions as multiple cuts and bruises started appearing on his skin.

"Vire!" Electivire cried out in pain as a yellow blur hit him right under the jaw, knocking him back a few metres. Electivire landed on the ground with a loud cry of pain, enhanced by the brutal blow taken to its jaws.

"Pikachu's _Agility_ isn't just a onetime move Gary. Pikachu has trained enough with this move to make it a continuous attack type." I explained to my befuddled friend. Pikachu had been training in his speed non-stop for some reason from quite a few days. Not to say that his speed wasn't already very good, but he was close to becoming a speed demon like Sceptile. And because we knew that Pikachu's body wasn't naturally inclined for such speed, we had given focus to using Agility, a power consuming move, multiple times in succession. "Now follow up with _Iron Tail_ while he is fallen Pikachu." As soon as I said that, Pikachu jumped into the air with his tail turning completely white. _Iron tail_ had turned out to be the most versatile move Pikachu had ever learned, virtually effective against every type of Pokémon.

_Iron tail_ didn't actually turn the user's tail into Iron. Rather, it stretched and tightened the muscles of the Pokémon's tail to such an extent that it gave the effect of iron

While Electivire looked at the incoming_ Iron tail _in slight fear, Gary acted fast. "Electivire, use _Brick Break_ to counter!" In the matter of a few seconds, Electivire's fist turned into a golden aura, meeting Pikachu's _Iron tail_ with equal Power.

I growled to myself. _Brick break_ too? Just how much has Gary been training Electivire!? Still, Pikachu has been scot free, while Electivire has endured much damage from the multiple _Agilities._ "Pikachu, don't give up! Keep using more force!" I commanded Pikachu.

Gary grit his teeth. With Electivire being in a lying down condition, his _Brick Break's_ power was slightly reduced. Still, there was no way out for them in this situation. "Electivire, you don't give up too! Put more power into the _Brick Break_!"

Both Electivire and Pikachu gained intense looks on their face as they increased the power behind their respective Moves. Pikachu, being in the air, had more of an advantage. But Electivire, being a fully evolved Pokémon, had more raw strength behind his attack. With no Pokémon ready to give up, Electivire sunk into the ground beneath it a bit, the force of its own attack added with the power of Pikachu's Iron Tail, making its fist shake in frustration.

Electivire grit his teeth, before giving a brutal cry and pushing Pikachu off of it, shocking the living hell out of Ash.

"How did he do that! Pikachu had him pinned underneath him!" I shouted out in disbelief. By all means necessary, Pikachu should have won that battle of wits. He had all the advantages!

"Like I said, don't underestimate Electivire Ashy Boy. Being a fully evolved Pokémon, his attacks have more raw strength in them, although Pikachu wasn't half bad." Wasn't half bad? Ash's Pikachu might even be the strongest of its species after the amount of time he held off the _Iron Tail_ against _Brick Break_. But Gary wasn't about to say that on the outside.

"Now Electivire, use _Rock Smash_!" Gary commanded his next move as Electivire took advantage of its strong physical build and started chucking multiple boulders to a panicking Pikachu. Rock Smash wasn't a move every Pokémon could learn, but for Pokémon with large builds and strong hands like Electivire, they could easily learn it with rigorous training.

Pikachu, being a small Pokémon, was quite intimidated by the continuous barrage of rocks coming its way.

I wasn't perturbed in the least. "Pikachu, no need to fret, use _Counter Shield_!" I said, smirking at Gary's confused expression.

"Counter what!?" Gary's confused voice came out. He was then left speechless as Pikachu lay on its back and started spinning, while launching _Thunderbolts_. While a singular _Thunderbolt_ could be launched at a fixed point without fail, Pikachu's spinning while using _Thunderbolt_ gave the attack a whole new meaning. The _Thunderbolts_ appeared to be launching wildly all over the place, but still had a certain amount of coordination among them as Electivire's _Rock Smash_ was neutralised without taking any damage. Electivire's widened eyes and slightly jarred mouth told all it could to anyone observing.

Seeing Gary's gaping mouth gave me an odd amount of satisfaction_. Counter Shield_ was a move I and Pikachu had developed while journeying Sinnoh. Since Pikachu couldn't use _Agility _to dodge every attack thrown on it, and neither could it learn some super effective defensive move like _Light Screen_, _Counter Shield_ was our original move which provided the same advantages.

The move was strong enough to neutralise a fully lunched _Flamethrower_ attack for God's sake!

Gary stood speechless for a few seconds before regaining his bearings. "Ashy boy, colour me impressed." He praised genuinely. Whatever the move Ash had devised was simply brilliant; there was no two ways around it. It was kind of an ultimate defence for Pikachu, and for any else Pokémon who could devise it. "Do any more of your Pokémon know the move Ash?" Gary asked warily.

I smirked "Well that would be telling now, wouldn't it Gary?" Gary's scowl and angry mutterings were music to my ears.

Gary was unperturbed. He still had a battle to win after all. "No matter Electivire, jump up and use _Giga Impact_!" Gary commanded confidently as Electivire jumped high up in the air, belying its large stature, and got covered in a golden aura.

_Giga Impact_ huh? Seeing Gliscor perform that move had shown me more than enough what it could do. No matter, we have a perfect counter for it. "Pikachu, use _Electro Iron Ball_!" Another one of our original moves. Well, not really original, but I hadn't seen anyone else do it till now.

"Pika Pi!" Pikachu gave an enthusiastic cry as it got on all fours. In a matter of a few seconds, Pikachu's tail was covered in a silvery white aura, showing that _Iron Tail _was now active. And then a Ball, made of pure Electricity was created hovering a few inches above it. The _Iron Tail_ itself was sparkling, showing the integration of Electricity into it, increasing its power tenfold.

"Grr. Don't worry Electivire, _Giga Impact_ full power!" Gary yelled as Electivire gave a brutal war cry while descending at rapid speeds towards Pikachu. Jumping high in the air provided an immense power up to _Giga Impact_ when used by non Flying Types. While Flying Type Pokémon could come from even greater heights, they could never use _Giga Impact_ at its full potential due to the possible backlash. While it was true that they could descend from greater heights with greater speeds, there was always the possibility that the opponent may dodge, thus making the attacking Pokémon KO itself. But for Land dwelling Pokémon like Electivire, they were not so much in danger due to the simple fact of possessing legs, helping them regain some bearing.

"VIRE!" "CHU!" Both Pokémon gave high pitched yells as they collided, Pikachu's _Electrified Iron Tail_ with Electivire's superman-ified body. 5'11", 300 pound monster colliding with a yellow mouse. Who could possibly win?

Well the answer was clear.

Just as the two high level attacks collided, a large Explosion was created, engulfing the two Pokémon. Both the Trainers cried the names of their respective Pokémon, worried for their safety. Just as the cloud was dissipating, two thuds were heard, one noticeably louder than the other. When the dust cloud shifted, Pikachu was shown, down on one knee and breathing harshly, with the cuts and bruises present on its body showing that it had not come unscathed from the collision.

While Electivire on the other hand was clearly knocked out, its eyes reduced to swirls and tails flayed out on the ground. Experiencing much more damage during the cource of the battle had obviously disadvantaged Electivire in the final attack, leading to his loss and Pikachu's victory.

"Electivire, return." Gary returned his Pokémon, muttering words of praise and support as he made his way to his oldest rival, who was enthusiastically celebrating with Pikachu. Gary shook his head with a smile, no matter what changed in the Pokémon world and their lives; he could always depend on Ash to stay the same as eve-

No. The thought gave him pause. '_Ash isn't the same as before. No. He is much more focused during the battles and he no longer makes the same silly mistakes as before. Well, this is a change that we could do with.'_

Obviously, he could never say something so encouraging on the outside, could he? "Look at you Ashy Boy, winner of the Unova League, top ranker in so many regional championships, winner of the Battle Frontier and the Orange League, celebrating so hard at beating a poor old researcher like me. Shame on you Ashy Boy." Gary said as he shook his head in disappointment.

As expected, Ash blew up in anger and embarrassment. '_Ah, now it is the same as before.'_ Gary thought in satisfaction.

**XXX**

**A/N: **Well, that's it for this time friends! I am really sorry for the bit short chapter, but I promise that the next one will be larger and better. But that will be only if you all keep showing me your support in the form of Likes, Favourites and Reviews of course! Really guys, I don't want to ask for reviews, but that is the real thing which motivates us writers to write our shit! I will really appreciate it if you all took the one minute of your day to review your thoughts on my story!

Thank you in advance.

And one more thing, What do you guys want me to do? Should I end the _Home Arc_ in the next chapter and begin the _Travelling Arc_? But beware that that will reduce the Shipping portions. Or should I continue it for a couple more Chapters? Also, the suggestions for the Pokémon were extremely helpful, thanks for them; I will definitely be using some.

One question. Should I use Haxorus?


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Yo, sorry for the delay people. But here it is, the new chapter of my very own rendition of the Pokémon World, **_**To be the best, like there no one ever was.**_

**Yup it's a long title, if ya got any suggestions for a one word name, PM it to me.**

**I hope you enjoy reading the chapter!**

**XXX**

_**Ash POV**_

I stretched my limbs a little. My morning jog had just completed, along with my Pokémon's, and I was all ready to train.

"Sceptile! You're up buddy!" Our training had been going on very well, and today I had decided to train with Sceptile. Being one of my strongest Pokémon didn't mean that he had to train any less than the others. Rather, it put much more pressure on him to perform a step above everyone else.

"Scep Sceptile!" Sceptile obviously was fired up.

"Charizard, Garchomp, I need you two to help Sceptile." I yelled over to the two hand to hand sparring Monsters. Because I couldn't put personal attention to all of my Pokémon every day, I had designed a training programme for each one of them, where they alternated training partners everyday to correct their own weaknesses as well as help others.

Both the Pokémon nodded, but looked towards their trainer as to _how _exactly they had to help.

"Both of you will pick up a few large rocks and fly high up in the air. Then I want you two to throw them at Sceptile, who rather than dodge, will try to cut down the rocks." I explained further. I was rather concerned by the evil grins on the face of Charizard and Garchomp, but played it off as something else.

Charizard and Garchomp got up to their work, making Boldore create a large number of appropriately sized boulders. Boldore did its job very well; being a Rock type Pokémon had its advantages in certain matters.

Picking up the maximum amount of rocks they could in their hands, Charizard and Garchomp took off into the sky. Reaching a height of about 60 ft, they finally stopped, giving a thumbs up.

I looked towards Sceptile, who looked a bit nervous at the prospect of having to cut down speeding boulders from the sky.

"Don't worry Sceptile, I have full belief in you. Just use your _Leaf Blad_e properly along with your natural speed, and you'll be done in no time at all!" My encouragement seemed to have done its work, as Sceptile looked reassured and his confident demeanour returned.

"Alright Garchomp! Charizard! Begin!" Just as I yelled that, a barrage of stones started coming at high speeds towards Sceptile. No more looking worried, the elongated Blades present on the hands of Sceptile started glowing. Sceptile jumped high into the air, its strong thigh and calf muscles allowing it to perform such a task without much effort.

The _Leaf Blade_ cut through the Rocks like a Knife cuts butter, the multitude of Boulders turning into halves or quarters, depending on how Sceptile used both of his Blades. While _Leaf Blade_ had originally been discovered to be a high speed cutting move, members of the Sceptile family had been able to use it with much more flexibility, with much thanks to their natural build.

Just like the Thrusters present on the head of Gible, Gabite and Garchomp, which are more often than not mistaken for ears; the tails of Sceptiles are similarly used for increasing their speed. While on the outside it may look like something of a disadvantage for Sceptile against Fire Types, in reality the Tails were the main factor of Sceptile's battle prowess.

And here, Sceptile used its tail to help it Float in the air for a short duration of time. This also helped Sceptile in case it fell from a high point; its falling momentum so far reduced by the time it reached the ground, it's barely even hurt. Sceptile also used its rarely needed Vines to grab onto some of the especially larger ones to maintain his momentum.

With Sceptile using its mini jumps generated from the force of cutting down the boulders along with its tail to keep into the sky; I decided to make things a bit harder for him. Even Charizard and Garchomp looked a bit frustrated at the ease with which Sceptile cut down their attacks.

"Boldore, use _Rock Slide_ on Sceptile!" I commanded to Boldore, who looked a bit startled at the sudden command, but followed nonetheless.

"Booolll" Boldore hummed as it raised its front legs a little. Boldore's eyes started glowing a bit as huge rocks appeared in the sky, a bit below Garchomp and Charizard, who looked similarly surprised at the sudden attack. Rock type Pokémon had the potential to control their namesakes, the Rocks, with unlimited possibility. Unfortunately, apart from legendaries like Regirock, no other Pokémon had been successful in honing its talent to that extent.

The aforementioned Slabs were considerably larger than the ones Charizard and Garchomp were throwing at Sceptile.

With the huge slabs appearing a bit above it, Sceptile's smug demeanour immediately vanished. Only a single _Leaf Blade_ glowed this time, the power of two present in it. The multitude of Rocks hovered in the sky, controlled by Boldore, as a single one shot towards Sceptile. With a loud cry, Sceptile's _Leaf Blade_ met the huge slab with a band. Just as the _Leaf Blade_ touched the hardened rock, a small explosion occurred at the site of contact, with the _Leaf Blade_ cutting through rest of the rocks with a drill like sound.

"TILE!" Sceptile gave a loud cry of its name as the high powered attack finally cut through the first rock. The two halves fell from the sky with a loud _boom_ sound; making quite a number of Pidgeys and Spearows residing in the Oak ranch fly away.

Sceptile landed on the ground, panting hard with sweat glistening on its entire body. While it wouldn't have any problem in countering the attack by dodging; cutting it down while in the sky was an entirely different matter. "Don't rest yet Sceptile, there are three more two go!" I warned Sceptile, who nodded resolutely.

While none of the Pokémon were conditioned for training of this kind of magnitude, all of them did realize that the upcoming tournament was probably the single most important one of their entire lives. Each and every Pokémon of the world was naturally inclined for battle, and thus wanted to become the strongest of their species, or rather Sub-species. Even Snorlax, who never took training seriously, knew that he wasn't nearly as unbeatable as he thought himself to be, and thus trained with as much vigour as it could muster.

Which in all honesty, wasn't that much.

Sceptile glared towards the remaining three boulders. While he was tired from the unorthodox training session, he was nowhere near giving up. Taking a determined stance as it looked towards the rapidly approaching second boulder, his single _Leaf blade_ glowed once more. Knowing that he was done for if he waited for the boulder to come near the ground, I decided to help him a bit. "Sceptile, use your Leaf Storm to slow down the boulder a little, and then cut it down!"

Sceptile's eyes widened a little at the excellent strategy, but it wasted no time in doing so. The leaves present on Sceptile's Palm tree shaped tail bristled a little as a multitude of leaves appeared, spinning at high speeds. The Leaf Storm had a greenish tint to it as it met the fast descending slab of rock, immediately slowing it down to a quarter of its previous speed. Sceptile's Leaf Blade glowed as he jumped into the sky, landing on the slowed down boulder, still being engulfed by the Leaf Storm.

Sceptile gave loud cry as he drove the _Leaf Blade_ into the middle of the Boulder's top. The Leaf Blade cut a bit into it, but refused to go inside a bit more. Sceptile grunted as he increased his efforts tenfold, finally succeeding in cutting into the boulder. Just as the _Leaf Blade_ cut through, the Rock was engulfed in a white stream of light, the added pressure of Sceptile using its legs to push down on it finally taking its toll. The rock exploded, engulfing Sceptile into the resulting smoke.

"Oh no! Sceptile!" I cried out in worry. Did I push too hard? Was Sceptile not ready for such high intensity training? I could only hope that he wasn't severely injured.

But it seemed my worries were unfounded, as a relatively unharmed Sceptile emerged from the cloud, landing gracefully onto the ground. The hundreds of pieces of broken down shards of the _Rock Slide_ fell around Sceptile.

Since the rocks were still engulfed in the green glow of the Leaf Storm, it made for a very beautiful sight, dare I say Contest qualification level?

"Alright! You did it Sceptile!" I congratulated my large Grass type, who merely smirked, the twig in its still unchanged from its position. I think cutting down the two rocks are more than enough for Sceptile "Boldore, stop the move. Training's ov-" I was not allowed to finish as Sceptile growled, sending an annoyed glare towards me.

So Sceptile still wants to keep going on huh? Well, it's his decision. "Very well, Boldore! Use both of the rocks together!" I yelled. Sceptile's eyes widened, and the twig from his mouth nearly fell.

'_You utter asshole.'_ Such were Sceptile's thoughts towards his dear trainer, not that he knew.

"BOOOOLLLL!" Boldore looked inordinately pleased as it sent both the rocks towards Sceptile, who panicked over what to do. I wasn't much worried since if bad came to worse; Sceptile could always use its speed to dodge. But what I wanted to see was just how Sceptile reacts.

Sceptile's mind race a mile through a minute. His asshole trainer had put him in a fudged up situation, one where his _Leaf Blade_ wasn't nearly as helpful as before. So with a panicked mind and adrenalin fuelled body, Sceptile jumped for the third time this morning. The Jungle Pokémon raised both of its hands in a movement similar to _Leaf blade_. With both the rocks in front of it, and no way to truly escape, Sceptile gave a loud battle cry as it crossed both of its hands in front of himself.

However, instead of the usual green coloured glow of _Leaf Blade_, the two Blades _melded _together into one, getting a silvery white hue. Sceptile then moved its hands rapidly, sending a X-shaped attacked towards the two boulders. The attack met the speedy monster rocks with a loud crack, and just as it did, a huge explosion occurred. But rather than smash the boulders to pieces, the X attack _cut _through them with ease, allowing Sceptile to pass the eight falling pieces with an extremely cool look.

"_X-Scissors." _I breathed in awe. Sceptile had just learned a bug type move, giving it a potential advantage against the type it was weak against. The surrounding Pokémon were all in a similar state, Charizard and Garchomp having landed a while back ad observing the training session, and Boldore looking stunned at the ease with which its attack was cut down.

While Bug type wasn't advantageous against Rock types, rather it was a normally damaging one, Sceptile's attack was just _that powerfull!_ A normal _X-scissor_ wouldn't have nearly that much ease in cutting down a boulder that size, much less two. Leavanny hadn't been able to while I had trained with her against Boldore, so why it was that Sceptile's attack was so much more powerfull?

Pushing the question to a corner of my mind, I quickly made my way towards the laying down form of Sceptile, panting hard from the exertions.

"Good Job Sceptile! You learned _X-Scissors_!" I congratulated my large Grass type, who eyes widened a bit. Did he not know that he had learned an all new move?

"And Boldore, your _Rock Slide_ has become a lot better buddy!" Boldore had had difficulty in maintaining the attack, but today he had managed to perform admirably well.

"Booollldore." Boldore hummed in happiness at the praise. Since Boldore did not have a visible mouth, its voice always came out as muffled, or as a hum. I wonder how he managed to communicate with the other Pokémon.

Just as I was about to make my Pokémon go on another stamina increasing run, an incredibly angry voice cut through the air.

"ASH KETCHUM! GET YOUR ASS INTO THE LAB _RIGHT NOW!"_

I cringed. Just why the heck was Professor Oak sounding so angry right now?

**XXX**

"Why do you do this to me Ash? Did I ever not treat you right? Did I not let you play with my Pokémon when you were younger? Did I not treat to an Ice Cream _every time_ your mother was out of town?" Professor Oak wailed as he clutched a frantic looking Ash's shoulder. Although Professor oak's sobbing didn't feel sad, rather it was ...happy?

"W-What h-happened Professor Oak? Ash asked in utter bewilderment. Pikachu also looked pretty confused as it sat on the shoulder of Ash.

"Look." Professor Oak commanded in a deathly calm voice, which frankly scared Ash as he pointed towards a computer.

'_Huh? So much money?' _Ash thought as he looked towards the screen, which very clearly showed-

_**Untouched Amount: 2,663,000$  
Note: This is the first time the user has accessed his accounts, we wish you a happy spending!  
Regards: Poke-infrastructures Bank**_

"Why are you showing me this Professor?" Ash asked in confusion as he looked towards the incredulous looking Professor.

"You mean you don't know!?" Professor Oak nearly shouted.

"What?" Ash asked, now irritated by the vague manner in which Oak was talking.

"Its your, my boy! That money has been won by you over the course of your Pokémon journey!" Oak said as he looked towards the shocked looking boy.

"M-MY?...B-But ...how? When?" Ash was in a state commonly known as, utterly friggin shocked. Pikachu was close to fainting. While he did not properly know the various currencies of the world, even he knew that that many numbers were a pretty big fucking amount.

"I'll show you, my boy. Look." Oak said as he clicked with the mouse over a few buttons on the screen.

**XXX**

**Welcome to the official site of Poke-Infrastructures Bank!**

"_**Name: Ash Ketchum.  
Profession: Pokémon Trainer/ Co-ordinator  
Age: 16 years  
Total Account Balance: 2,663,000$**_

_**Years Active: 2007-2013**_

_**Transactions: **_

_**Pokémon League Accountancy:**_

_**Kanto Pokémon League Accounts: 100,000$ (Top 16 in the Indigo League)  
Johto Pokémon League Accounts: 150,000$ (Top 8)  
Hoenn Pokémon League Accounts: 150,000$ (Top 8)  
Sinnoh Pokémon League Accounts: 250,000$ (Top 4)  
Unova Pokémon League Accounts: 500,000$ (Winner)**_

_**Regional Bank Transactions:**_

_**P1 Grand Prix: 50,000$ (champion)  
Pokémon Swap Meet Tauros Battling Competition: 10,000$(winner)  
Bug-Catching Contest: 10,000$ (champion)  
Grass Tournament: 10,000$ (runner-up) (-2000$ Competition Fee)  
Sumo Conference: 5,000$ (champion)  
Pokémon Balloon Race: 5,000$ (champion)  
Whirl Cup: 20,000$ (top 32)  
Extreme Pokémon: 20,000$ (champion)  
Tour de Alto Mare: (-2,000) (DNF)  
PokéRinger- Town 20,000$(champion) 2. Squallville 20,000$(champion)  
Rota Tournament: 20,000$(champion)  
Pokémon cosplay contest: 8,000$ (runner-up)  
Hearthome City Tag Battle Competition: 40,000$ (champion - with Paul)  
Pokémon Summer Academy Triathlon: 20,000$ (Winner) (-5,000$ Participation fee)  
Pokémon Ping Pong Tournament: 5,000$ (top 32) (-500$ Participation)  
Twinleaf Festival Battle Tournament: 20,000$ (winner)  
Pokéathlon: 10,000$ (runner-up)  
Club Battle: 10,000$ (runner-up)  
Wishing Bell Festival: 5,000$ (runner-up)  
Clubsplosion: 50,000$ (top 4)  
Pokémon World Tournament Junior Cup: 100,000$ (runner-up)  
Marine Cup Tournament: 80,000$ (winner)  
Scalchop King Competition: -10,000$ (disqualified)  
Grand Harvest Festival Pokémon Sumo Tournament: 30,000$ (winner)**_

_**Pokémon Contests: National Contest League Bank Transactions:**_

_**Terracotta Contest: 50,000$ (Winner)  
Jubilife Contest: 50,000$ (top 8)  
Wallace Cup: 100,000$ (top 8)**_

_**Regional League Transactions:**_

_**Orange Archipelago Bank: 250,000$ (Regional Pokémon League Winner)  
Kanto Battle Frontier Accounts: 500,000$ (Winner)**_

_**Note: Mr. Ash Ketchum has never transacted any money from his Accounts, rather all of the out ward payments have been made from the connected account of Mrs. Delia Ketchum, ID: 2342535661. Due to successive In-Transactions into the account, it has remained active.**_

_**Thank you."**_

**XXX**

"Holy Shit." Was the only thing that could come out of Ash's mouth right now.

"Pikachu pi."

"Yes Ash. Holy Shit." Professor Oak repeated.

"I seriously earned money for competing in those tournaments!? Was that why they put my Pokedex in a small machine after the tournaments?" Ash asked, still stunned from the sudden events.

"_Why did I let such an ill-informed trainer go on a nationwide journey?"_ Professor Oak questioned to himself.

Ignoring the indignant squawk from Ash he continued "Yes Ash, all those tournaments cost money to take part in, and give monetary reward in the case of a successful position." He explained.

"But why didn't anyone ever explained me such things!? I never even paid for all the food my Pokémon ate! And my Pokeballs were bought by mom! I could have easily paid for all that!" Ash shouted in disbelief.

"Easily paid? More like feed 100 Snorlaxes without any worry." Samuel oak grumbled. "Just look at the people who have travelled with you Ash. When you were 10 years old, you travelled with Misty and Brock, both of whom came from well off families and were paid by the League. Brock then travelled with you to all of the other regions. He bought and made the food for your Pokémon, you just never questioned it. May is the daughter of the Petalbourg Gym leader, Dawn in the daughter of a successful co-ordinator. When you were in Unova, Cilan took care of all of these expenses, being a Gym Leader himself. Iris is a relative of Drayden." Professor Oak said as he listed all of Ash's travelling companions. Ash's eyes widened in revelation.

"So that means..." He trailed off.

"They were the ones who paid for everything. And the money for the competitions came from my Mom's account!" Ash finally understood. But he was still confused about one thing. "But why didn't they ever tell me Professor? They didn't need to have paid for my expenses?"

"They are your good friends Ash, they simply never felt the need. I hope that you have learned your lesson from this Ash." At Ash's inquisitive look he continued. "Till now, you have been very immature Ash. But now, as you have told me, you are going on a journey alone. So you must take responsibility for such things. I know that you are an excellent Pokémon trainer Ash, but you have to understand the seriousness of the other things as well. Your friends may not travel with you on every journey of your, you must become self reliant." Samuel Oak explained gently tot eh 16 year old boy standing in front of him. He liked the boy, he really did. Since he knew Ash from the very moment he had first opened his eyes to the world, he was almost as a second grandson to him.

But regardless, he knew that Ash needed to open his eyes to the seriousness of the world soon. No longer can he allow him to continue in the way he had been before. It was for the good of Ash.

"I...understand Professor." Ash said in a soft tone. "Heh. Seems like I owe my friends more than I realized, huh Professor?" Ash asked rhetorically with a light laugh.

"HAHA Certainly, my boy. You are extremely lucky to have such a nice group of people to call your friends. Kinda reminds me of my own old pals." Professor Oak said as memories of a Blonde haired teenage girl and Brown haired youth came to his mind.

"Your friends? Who were they Professor Oak?" Ash asked curiously.

Samuel's eyes widened as he realized what he had blurted out. "Aah, don't worry about that Ash, just an old man's rambling. I had also called you for something else." Professor Oak said, quickly changing the subject.

"And what's that?"

"Your XtremeDex is all ready to go Ash! It's first charging is complete, and now it's battery has successfully become self sustaining. Of course, in the continued absence of more than one week of sunlight or Manual Electric Charging will bring it down, but that's inconsequential." Professor Oak said as he left the room to get Ash's new and improved Pokedex, or XtremeDex as he liked to call it.

'_The XtremeDex huh? I had forgotten all about that thing. Somehow I am getting the feeling that i should not take it...but then again, Professor Oak said that I am the first person to get the honour of receiving such a high level device...meh, I'll see what happens.' _Ash thought as Professor Oak re-entered with the familiar Wrist Watch shaped device in hand.

"I have already set up the time and date on it, so you don't need to worry about that Ash. Now, if you will allow me, I'll also connect your Bank Account with your XtremeDex, so that you can now pay with your _own_ money, okay?" Oak said with a pointed look, making Ash chuckle nervously.

"Yeah, alright Professor. But one question that I do have is that the Pokedex fully updated or not?" Till now, Ash had taken the regional Pokedex of each region to wherever he had started his new journey. Now that he was going to travel to all of his previously visited places, having a better and vaster Pokedex would be nice. None of the fancy enhancements mattered to him if the basic purpose of the Pokedex was not fulfilled.

The Professor looked at Ash as if he had asked some extremely stupid question. "Of course! What do you take me for, my boy! This XtremeDex has the National Pokedex onto it, with the updated data taken from the information gathered from your various Pokedexes." He said as he finished connecting the Pokedex to the Bank Website.

Since Oak was an extremely trusted and basically a father figure to Delia, she had not even thought twice before handling the control of Ash's Bank Account till he grew old enough to properly control it. Being 16 years old, no time was better than now.

"_Downloading Data...1 minute till Downloading Finishes...59 seconds, 58,57,56..." _Dexter's mechanical voice spoke up as the synchronisation was in full speed.

"Wow, its fast. I might not know too much about computers, but something like that should take at least 5 minutes." Ash commented, impressed by the speed of the XtremeDex.

Professor oak was about to launch into another tirade over how the XtremeDex was the best in everything before the device itself came to its own rescue. "Sir, it would be better if you don't undermine my capabilities. I am Dexter, and I am God of computers." Dexter said in monotone voice, with an underlying hint of anger.

'_Damn, it's got a god complex like Mewtwo.'_ Yup the decision wasn't looking all that good to Ash now. "Uhm...it wasn't my intention to...err.. undermine your capabilities, Dexter. I was just amazed, that's all." Ash's explanation was only met by a snarky 'Humph' from the semi sentient computer.

"Professor, is it too late to ask for my old Pokedex..." Ash looked towards the old Professor with pleading eyes.

"Yes it is Ash. But don't worry, apart from a few moments Dexter is completely reliable. While it can make a few distasteful comments once in a while, it will ever act on its own or do something with malicious intent."

Ash nodded at that. After strapping the new and improved Pokedex to his wrist, Ash found it to be really comfortable and handy. While before he had to fish for the Pokedex in one of the many pockets on his attire, now getting information became much more easier for him.

"Alrighty then, let's check it out! Pikachu, stand over there buddy." Ash said to his long time friend, who had been curiously looking over the various happening till now.

"Pika!" Pikachu obeyed in an instant and went over to stand on the nearby table.

Ash then pointed over Dexter to Pikachu, and boy was he shocked by the amount of information appearing on the screen, moreover he didn't need to even look at those, since Dexter said them aloud itself.

"_**National Pokedex Entry #25: Pikachu**_

**This Pokémon has electricity-storing pouches on its cheeks. These appear to become electrically charged during the night while Pikachu sleeps. It occasionally discharges electricity when it is dozy after waking up. It is a highly intelligent Pokémon.**

**This Pikachu has the **_**Ability: Lightning Rod**_

**This Pikachu knows the moves: **_**Thunder Shock, Thunderbolt, Volt Tackle, Electro Ball, Double Edge, Iron Tail, Agility, Quick Attack, and Tackle.**__**"**_

"Wow! That's a lot of information. How did it tell the moves of Pikachu, Professor Oak?"

"My boy, are you forgetting that this is my greatest Pokedex yet?" The Professor asked in a haughty tone, getting an amused smile from Ash. "The XtremeDex can tell the moves and the Ability, whether activated or not, of every Pokémon. Although it will not tell you the moves of any of the Pokémon not belonging to you, it will tell you their ability." He explained further.

Ash however, was rather confused by the last part. "Hold on, but why won't I be able to see the moves of my opponents and the wild Pokémon?" That would have been a pretty big advantage.

"That's something imposed on me by the League Ash. If you could know the moves of every Pokémon that your own is facing; it would be a pretty big disadvantage to the other party. Besides, I don't think you would want things to get a bit _too easy _for you, now would you?" Professor Oak asked with a challenging look.

Ash smirked. "Not on your life Professor. And besides I don't _need _advantages like that anyway. My Pokémon don't need any of the fancy technology; we will get stronger the old fashioned way!" Ash said as he pumped a fist into the air, the action being mimicked with equal vigour by Pikachu.

Samuel Oak just laughed amusedly at the actions of the raven haired trainer.

**XXX**

**Three Days later**

_**Ash POV**_

_*BEEP BEEP* _"Time to wake up Sir." _*BEEP BEEP* _Dexter's Robotic voice rang up in the medium sized tent, for the fifteenth time in as many minutes.

Finally, as the beeping got too much for me, I blearily opened my eyes. Turning around to press the red button the Dexter's side, I muttered thanks to the advanced Pokedex. Pikachu wasn't around me, so he must have gone outside to stretch or something. Professor oak had warned Pikachu in a no nonsense tone to never shock me while I was wearing the XtremeDex, saying that doing so might damage the XtremeDex beyond repair.

And I had to agree with Pikachu that a _serious _Professor Oak... was a _scary _Professor Oak.

I stretched my limbs as I got out of my makeshift camp. It had been three days since I had received the XtremeDex from Professor Oak; I gotta say that it had been pretty helpful in my journey till now. A day after the one Sceptile learned _X-Scissors_; I left on my journey to reach the city of Saffron, where one of my oldest friends resided. The Pokémon I was out to get could have been a potentially lifesaving member of my Kanto Team, but it had better served its purpose there.

That was not to say that I hadn't met with it over the course of these many years. Saffron was always one of the cities I the way whenever I returned from my interregional journeys, so I always made time to meet and train up with it. And even though it wasn't as strong as the one between me and my regular group, the bond between me and Gengar was pretty strong in itself.

May, Dawn, Cilan and Iris had left two days before, their holiday period now over. I wanted to go with them to the Viridian City Port, but they convinced me to not to. I was rather concerned about May, seeing as she looked pretty shaken up, but told me that it was nothing.

Immediately after they left, Misty and Brock accompanied me on my journey to Saffron, since Cerulean and Pewter came in the way. That had been yesterday, and for the remaining two hours of daylight, I had ridden on Pidgeot to reach the forest outside Saffron.

Dexter was extremely useful in this regard too, its navigation capabilities were extremely helpful. I had no doubt that I would have been lost 10 times over by now, if not for Pidgeot and Dexter. Travelling with efficient and experienced trainers like Brock and Cilan had pretty much spoiled me on the various small things related with Pokémon journeys. Dexter was the perfect solution for them.

"Pikachu! Pidgeot! Come on here!" I called out into the wilderness. I did not have to wait for long as a loud screech came, indicating the arrival of my massive Pidgeot. But Pidgeot wasn't alone, since riding on its back was Pikachu. Pidgeot looked to be in a playful mood, since it did many aerial manoeuvres, taking care to not drop Pikachu, who was squealing in enjoyment.

"Haha! That's enough guys, we have to reach Saffron, and so we gotta move now." I said with a bit authoritative tone.

Pikachu and Pidgeot looked a bit dejected, but understood that they did need to move as fast as they can to reach the town in time.

"Ready Pidgeot?" I really didn't need to ask as Pidgeot flapped its massive wings, immediately taking in the skies. Pidgeot's massive size had made it a perfect choice for me to take on my mini journey. Pidgeot had never been oversized or even moderately large for its species while a Pidgeotto, but its size had suddenly increased by a great deal after evolving. But it still didn't even compare to the depictions of Sir Aaron's Pidgeot, whose size was simply godly for its species.

As I flew over the vast expanse of the wilderness surrounding probably every city of Kanto, Dexter suddenly spoke up.

"Sir, we are entering into the Saffron Airspace, I would suggest that we fly at a lower height."

I was confused. "But why Dexter, is there a problem in flying at greater heights?"

"Yes sir, the airspaces surrounding the major cities containing official League Gyms have a kind of 'Restricted Airspace'. I do not have much information, but it is highly suggested to fly at lower heights while on a Pokémon." Dexter explained, digging information from the multitude of databases present on it.

"Well, alright then. You heard Dexter buddy, fly low." I said to Pidgeot, who looked a bit annoyed at having to fly at a lower height, but relented.

It was only three hours later that the city of Saffron was visible on the horizon. Just like every other major city, Saffron had undergone a major overhaul in the recent years. While before Skyscrapers were rare in Kanto, now each and every city having a major Gym contained a multitude of them.

Landing in front of the Pokémon Centre, we attracted quite a bit of attention. Mostly it was due to the size of Pidgeot, who itself wasn't a common species. Even though I had never put much effort in my studies, even then one fact had been made clear to each and every student. Pidgeys, even though easily caught and evolved, rarely reached their third evolution; wild Pidgeot's were almost as rare as wild Dragonites.

But I was highly surprised when a few of the people recognized me too.

"Hey look at the Pidgeot man!"

"Wow!"

"Is that Ash Ketchum?"

"Who? The one who won the Unova League?"

"It is him! Look at the Pikachu on his shoulders!"

"Return Pidgeot, take a nice long rest." I said thankfully as I returned Pidgeot to its Pokeball. Seeing as it was midday and Pidgeot had been flying with me on it for quite some time, it must have gotten pretty tired.

Pidgeot wordlessly returned to the Pokeball in a flash of light. After leaving Pidgeot's Pokeball with Nurse Joy, me and Pikachu made our way to the Saffron city Gym. I remembered my first trip here while I was travelling with Brock and Misty. Back then Sabrina had been... strange to say the least.

And that indeed was saying the least, turning Brock and Misty into dolls, manifesting her suppressed emotions into a walking talking doll.

Yeah, strange.

"My, is that how you think about me Ash? I'm hurt." A deathly calm voice came out from behind me.

"AAAHHHHH...S-SABRINA!?" I turned around to see the calm looking, green haired Psychic master.

"Ah. I am honoured that you remember me. After all, we meet only once a year hmm?" She continued, taking one step towards the trembling trainer in front of her.

I was too scared to even say something. How could I! I had just insulted a person who could turn me into a friggin doll!

But just before I could fall on my knees and beg for mercy, Sabrina started laughing. The thing was, it didn't really reassure me or anything, the laugh was a monotonous, slow one.

"Haha. Don't worry Ash, I won't turn you into a doll." Sabrina said with a smile.

How did she kn- Ah! Psychic... mind reading and all that shit.

"So uh...Hi?" I awkwardly greeted to Sabrina, who fortunately didn't notice it, and promptly asked me about the reason I had come to visit.

"You see Sabrina; a big Tournament is coming up. Probably the biggest ever. And the thing is that I need all, and I really mean_ all _of my Pokémon to have a chance in winning the tournament. So that's why I have come back for Gengar." I explained to Sabrina, who took it all in silently.

"So am I correct in assuming that the tournament you are talking about is the Champions League?" At my surprised look she continued. "Don't be so surprised Ash. As one of the top Gym Leaders of Kanto, I was one of the first to get an invitation. And as for Gengar, well I had already decided to give him back to you some time soon, and as a matter of fact Gengar was very excited to see you after seeing your victory against Virgil in the Unova League. Congratulations for that, by the way."

I blushed at the praise. The first titbit of the information didn't really shock me, Sabrina was putting it lightly when she said that she was one of the top Gym Leaders. In my opinion, Sabrina was at the level of the Elite Four, what with her Psychic connections with her Pokémon.

The second thing was more surprising though, Gengar had never really put much of an interest in coming with me on my journeys. "I guess even he wants to travel the world this time." I said. That was the only reason I could guess of.

And where the hell was Gengar anyway? "So Sabrina, where is Gengar?" For some reason, the temperature had got down just as I said those words.

Odd.

"Gengaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrr!" A sudden purplish blob appeared before me, the pointed teeth and red eyes looking as menacing as ever as Gengar made his grand re-entry.

"Yo Gengar!" "Pika Pi!" For some reason, neither me nor Pikachu were ever scared by Gengar. Apparently, this fact annoyed Gengar, so he devised multiple ways to scare us whenever we were in town.

And obviously, none worked.

Gengar got a depressed aura around it as it levitated a bit away from me. Sabrina and I, both suppressed a chuckle at the antics of the childish Pokémon. Many onlookers were in shock over the behaviour of the usually terrifying Pokémon.

"Here's Gengar's Pokeball Ash." Sabrina said as a Pokeball levitated a bit in front of me.

"T-Thanks S-Sabrina." Man. No matter how many times I saw her doing it... it still freaked me out. I grabbed the Pokeball and returned Gengar, who pouted at not being able to remain outside, but didn't resist.

"So... will you be making your way to Pallet today? It's still Afternoon, so you can make a good way out if you leave now." Sabrina asked as she and I walked towards the Pokémon Centre.

"Yeah. I think that would be the thing to do. I want to return to Pallet as soon as possible, I still have a lot of work to do." I answered.

Sabrina merely nodded at that. We walked the remaining distance to the Pokémon Centre in silence. The doors opened automatically as we were greeted by the Nurse Joy present.

"Hello Ash, and Miss. Sabrina." Nurse Joy said, bowing a bit to the Gym leader. "You Pidgeot is fully rested Ash, although I will recommend you to keep him in his Pokeball for a few hours atleast." Nurse Joy said with concern.

I nodded. "I can walk for a few hours. That won't be a problem." Nurse joy smiled at that.

Just as me and Pikachu were making our way outside, Sabrina's voice came up. "I might have given you Gengar Ash, but in return, you will have to catch me a Psychic Pokémon."

That made me pause. "WHAT! B-but why? Gengar was my Pokémon to begin with!?" I asked, baffled.

"True. But don't you remember who took care of him for all these years?" Sabrina said as she shook a lone finger, as if chiding me.

I wanted to argue, I really did. Because in all fairness, it was for the sake of Sabrina that I left Gengar here. Ghost type Pokémon, along with Psychic types, were known to be the most versatile Pokémon of all. Mainly it was due to their intangibility or Teleportation. So Gengar could have been an immense help for me in any of the Leagues.

But... then again, Sabrina _could _read minds, she _could _make me levitate in the air, she _could _turn me into a doll.

"Alright." I said with a sigh.

**XXX**

_1 hour out of Saffron City_

"Hey kid! I challenge you to a Pokémon battle!" An arrogant voice called out as I turned towards the direction from which it came.

A pretty non-descript man, looking to be in his 20's, stood with a Pokeball in hand. The man was wearing a yellow coloUred jacket, which had 6 Pokeballs attached to it.

"You talking to me?"

"Yeah you. Who else do you see around?"

"Well alright. How does a three on three battle sound?" I asked. I only had Pidgeot, Pikachu and Gengar on hand.

'_Only three? Must be a newbie.'_ The yellow jacketed man thought to himself. "Fine with me."

We walked over to a nearby clearing. Taking a ready stance, the man threw his Pokeball first.

A turtle-like bipedal Pokémon with plated, green rocks as its shell, appeared on the field. However, the Pokémon let out a menacing cry as it came out, obviously ready for some action.

"Golem! Time to rip it up!" Yellow Jacket called out enthusiastically.

'_Time to have my first "Official" battle with Gengar.' _"I choose you!" The Pokeball opened with a click as Gengar appeared in all its purple coloured glory. Red eyes and sharpened teeth made for a intimidating display as the Ghost shaped Pokémon grinned towards its opponent.

"Gengarrr" Gengar hissed out its name as it measured up its opposition, which, from the looks of it didn't really impress Gengar, seeing as he let out a scoff.

"Just wait a second, will ya?" I called out to the opposing trainer as I scanned Gengar with Dexter. In the excitement of battle, I had forgotten to check the moves which Gengar might knew. I didn't really have much of an experience with Ghost types; Gengar was the first member of my team to be so. Even then, he had been with Sabrina for the better part of the last five years.

"_**National Pokedex Entry #94: Gengar**_

_**A Gengar is close by if you feel a sudden chill. It may be trying to lay a curse on you.**_

**This Gengar has the Ability: Levitate  
This Gengar knows the moves: Lick, Mean Look, Night Shade, Confuse Ray, Shadow Ball, Dream Eater, Dark Pulse, Destiny Bond, and Psychic."**

I let out a whistle at that, as did Pikachu. "That's a loooot of moves. Wow, Gengar is really strong, huh Pikachu?" I asked rhetorically to Pikachu, who was similarly amazed at the wide array of powerful moves that Gengar knew.

With its enhanced senses, Gengar heard of the praise its trainer gave him and glowed with pride. The last three moves had been learned by him over the course of the last month, while Ash had been participating in the Unova League.

"HEY KID! ARE YOU GOING TO START OR NOT!" Yellow Jacket obviously was enraged by the perceived stalling.

"Alright Alright. Jeez, but would you tell me your name first?" I asked. I at least wanted to know the name of the person I was about to beat.

...Hey, I _was _the winner of the Unova League!

"Sure. Remember the name kid, its Rail, the person whose gonna win the Champions League next year." The man, Rail, said with arrogance seeping from every word.

I raised an eyebrow. _That_ was a pretty bold comment to make, seeing as even the champions were participating in the League. "Yeah...we'll see about that. My name's Ash Ketchum, thanks for asking."

Rail obviously wasn't affected by the slight insult and immediately started. "Golem, start things out with a _Rock Throw_!" Golem immediately, using its powerful muscles, picked up an absolutely _huge_ Rock and hurled it towards Gengar, who wasn't even panicking in the slightest.

"Gengar, use _Psychic_ to turn the attack back on Golem!" I commanded confidently. Being with Sabrina for the last few years at least had the advantage of Gengar knowing a few Psychic type moves.

"Geennn." Gengar hummed as its eyes and body glowed purple. The rapidly approaching rock stopped mere inches from Gengar, whose grin grew larger, and then turned back towards Golem, who had been shocked by the sudden turn of events.

'_No way! Gengar knows Psychic type moves!? But how is that even possible!?'_ Rail raged mentally, but he wasn't going to lose the battle in one move, "Golem use _Rock Blast_ to nullify the impact!" Since _Dig_ won't be able to work in time, and Golem didn't have much of a space to _Roll out_ to, _Rock Blast_ was their best bet.

Three light blue rings appeared and spun around Golem's body. The rings then glowed white and turned into glowing white rocks that spun around Golem's body as well.

"Leemmm!" Golem exclaimed as it fired the rapidly spinning rocks against the Boulder being controlled by Gengar. The rocks, despite being much smaller, had much more momentum and were more in number than the Boulder. The Boulder collided with the multiple white rocks with a loud crack sound. And then, like a buzz saw going through wood, the rocks grinded into the Boulder, taking a ring like shape similar to the planet Saturn.

The boulder then exploded into a million little fragments, causing both Gengar and Golem to jump back a little to be safe from the impact.

"You're pretty good." I said from the spot where I was standing. The two moves used by Golem were actually quite strong, and I was impressed by the strategy of Rail too. Many inexperienced trainers would have used Dig, causing even more damage to their Pokémon in the process.

"Same for you kid." Rail nodded. Still, he wasn't going to lose to some snot nosed brat. "But it won't do you any good, Golem use _Magnitude_!"

My eyes widened at that. _Magnitude_, being a Ground type move, was much effective against a Ghost type like Gengar.

Golem gave a loud cry as its body got covered in a brown coloured aura, much similar to _Giga Impact_. Golem jumped into the air and then smashed down into it with double the velocity, immediately flattening the surrounding area around it and creating a mini earthquake headed towards Gengar. As the Earthquake moved, the Rocks, Grass and even some of the large Boulders surrounding the area got smashed into pieces. The power was such that if it hit Gengar dead on, he was done for-

-But, Gengar wasn't without its own bag of tricks. "Gengar, use your ability! _Levitate_!" I grinned as I shouted out the move. The one move on par with _Teleport_, which all trainers hated for its sheer effectiveness. Levitate nullified almost every long range Ground Type and Rock Type attacks, especially ones like Earthquake and Magnitude.

"Gengarr!" Gengar floated up into the air with practised ease as it completely evaded the powerful attack. The attack's power was soon visible as a couple of trees toppled over due to the shockwaves generated.

"Now it's our time to attack! Gengar, use _Night Shade_!" Gengar eyes immediately glowed red as it fired a beam of energy towards Golem, who was suffering the effects of using a move like Magnitude. The Beam of energy converted into multiple rings, which all spun rapidly as they reached a wide eyed Golem.

"No Golem! Dodge!" Rail cried out in panic, but to no avail as the damage dealing move hit Golem. The rings converged around Golem, creating a strangulation effect, but were then _absorbed_ into Golem's body, causing it to cry out in immense pain.

"Good job, Gengar!" I congratulated my Pokémon. "Time to end it, Gengar, use _Dream Eater_!" I said with triumph oozing from my voice.

The strategy that I was about to use had been used with irritating effectiveness against me in a single match, causing me to lose as many as _4_ Pokémon. Against Golem, it was definite to work.

The thing about the move was that it was simply... beautiful in a sense of the word. Gengar's body glowed as it thrust its hands forward. A shadow version of Gengar stretched out from its own body, a few beads of sweat forming due to the less amount of practise he had with it.

Nevertheless, Gengar gave a growl as he released the move towards Golem, whose paralysing effect from Magnitude had been accentuated from the _Night Shade_.

"Move out of the way Golem!" Rail could do nothing but grind his teeth in anger as the move reached an unmoving Golem, whose eyes were already shut due to the agonizing pain caused by Night Shade.

The Gengar Shadow reached Golem, and rather than physically attacking or anything like that, rather _passed _through it, initially looking to be harmless, but it was a split second later as Golem fell on its knees, gasping badly for breath as sweat poured down all of the cracks in its armour.

"Your Golem is pretty good to even stay awake after that move, but we have to finish it! Gengar, finish it with _Dark Pulse_!"

Gengar concentrated on the Dark thoughts in its mind as it rapidly created a black coloured sphere, which appeared to have black lightning surrounding it. Giving a victorious cry, Gengar launched the _Dark Pulse_, hitting Golem with a loud bang.

Golem gave a pain filled cry as it was thrown more than a few feet back. The 661 pound Pokémon was dragging through the ground and dirt like a ragdoll, which showed the effectiveness of Gengar's Dark Pulse. When Golem finally stopped from its impromptu rolling, its eyes appeared as spirals, effectively showing that Golem was knocked out.

"YEAH! We win Gengar! Awesome job!" I cried out in victory as Pikachu raised two fingers in a 'V' sign towards Gengar, who blushed a bit at the praise.

Rail, on the other hand, didn't look happy at all. "Stupid Pokémon! I'll deal with you when we go back home." Rail said angrily as he returned his beaten Pokémon.

What the fuck? Golem had just fought such a tough battle against Gengar, who had been training with Sabrina, and Rail still had the mere guts to curse it!? "What the hell are you saying! Golem was really good in the battle, why are you belittling it!? I asked in anger.

Rail growled at being patronized by a mere kid. But before he could give back a jab, he suddenly stilled. Putting a hand into his pocket, he pulled out device much similar to a Mobile Phone, but with a larger screen. Reading it for a few seconds, his expression changed from angry to happiness to anger once again. Looking towards Ash his eyes steeled once again. "Don't interfere in my business kid. I remember just now that I have some... 'unfinished business'...so we gotta make this battle just a two on two. That alright with you?" Rail asked, not really caring for the answer.

I nodded. I had no wish to have a Pokémon battle with a Trainer having that kind of ideals anyway. "Yeah, whatever."

As Rail took out his next Pokeball, he looked at it with a dangerous gleam in his eyes. I was rather perturbed by it. When he was handling Golem, while he was harsh in his words and didn't look to care for it in the slightest... the expression he had with his next Pokémon was simply beyond that.

I also noticed that he took it out of his pant pocket rather than his custom Jacket, making the situation even odder.

Seriously, Rail seemed a pretty average enthusiastic Pokémon trainer just a little while back, so what got into his ass all of a sudden?

"Pikaaa.." Pikachu growled lowly as he saw the expression on Rail's face. Seems like me and him had the same views on the situation.

"Don't disappoint me again you pathetic excuse of a Pokémon... I spent a lot of effort in catching you... now's the time to pay me back." Rail muttered lowly, as he threw the Pokeball.

"I choose you, Arbok!" A purple coloured serpentine Pokémon appeared with a hiss from the Pokeball. A menacing face on its large hood made for an intimidating display. The Pokémon had an impressive height, almost as much as Charizard.

But something which bothered me was a small grey coloured device on Arbok's neck

"That's an impressive Arbok you've got." That was true. The Arbok in front of me didn't look to as easily defeat able as Jessie's Arbok. "Gengar, return. Pikachu, you're up buddy!" I said to the yellow coloured Pokémon on my shoulder, who nodded with resolve and jumped onto the battlefield.

Gengar looked a bit peeved at not being able to show its skills further, but floated over to my side nonetheless.

But even before the battle could begin, there seemed to be some type of internal debacle between Arbok and its trainer. For one, Arbok wasn't even facing Pikachu, glaring on Rail instead.

"Didn't you hear what I said? It's time for you to start paying me back...by winning the battles I use you to fight in, is that clear!" Rail barked to the snake Pokémon hissing at him.

"Chabok!" Arbok hissed at its trainer for one last time before finally turning back to face Pikachu.

"Pika Pi!" "Bok!" Both Pokémon took determined stances against each other, but both for completely different reasons.

One fought for both, its own and its trainer's pride. The other... only for its own survival.

"We will start this time! Pikachu, use Agility!" Pikachu immediately disappeared into thin air, startling Arbok and Rail just like Gary, and immediately Arbok began flinching left and right.

"Don't just stand there you pathetic piece of trash! Use _Acid Spray_ around you to stop that little mouse!" Rail commanded, without even a hint of worry for his slightly wounded Pokémon. Arbok immediately obeyed, taking the split second necessary for Pikachu to attack again to spray the Acid from the multiple glands present in its mouth.

Pikachu had to stop the _Agility_, if not then he would have had second to third degree Acidic burns on its paws from jumping on the ground around Arbok. The serpentine Pokémon itself was completely unharmed from its own attack, being a Poison type and its special ability protecting it from the affects of the low ph-Acid.

"Doesn't matter, Pikachu use _Thunderbolt_!" I commanded. Even though I hoped to see the match end in one attack, I knew that the Arbok in front of me was an actually trained one.

And I had already experienced what I could have faced on my journeys had James properly trained his Koffing.

"That won't do it kid. Arbok, use _Dig_ to get into the ground!" Rail commanded with a smug grin as Arbok immediately used its sleek build to burrow itself into the ground, the Thunderbolt hitting the tail end of Arbok but doing no damage whatsoever.

"Pikachu! Stay on your toes." _Dig_ was one of the best evasive moves, even more so in the case of Serpentine Pokémon like Arbok and Seviper.

"Pikapi." Pikachu narrowed his eyes as its legs tensed, immediately ready to jump whenever its adversary came out.

It was 15 seconds later that Rail finally shouted out, "Arbok, come on out and use _Crunch_!" Nothing happened for a few seconds, but suddenly the ground beneath Pikachu exploded, with the yellow creature jumping up. A second later, a huge purple blur came out from the ground.

Now that Pikachu is above Arbok, it's the perfect time to attack. "Alright, Pikachu, now use Thunder-WHAT!" Just as I was about to finish, Arbok had Pikachu crunched between its jaws, with Pikachu screaming out in pain. The venomous fangs in Arbok's mouth sunk into Pikachu's skin.

Arbok, being a Pokémon more than 15 feet if laid out properly, had apparently predicted Pikachu's jump, and had come out with much more speed than a usual Dig, its natural length providing an advantage in crunching up Pikachu.

"PIKACHU! USE _THUNDERSHOCK_ !" I yelled out in panic. Shit! If the venom entered into Pikachu, he was as good as done!

Pikachu immediately let out an _absolutely massive _Thundershockon Arbok, who despite being in immense pain, didn't let out Pikachu from the Crunch

But even if he resisted, it won't be for more than a few seconds, by which time, we would have already won! "That's it! Keep on doing it Pikachu!"

"No! I won't lose to a kid! Arbok, use _that _move! Use _Thunder Fang!" _ Rail screamed out in madness, refusing to lose to a snot nosed brat.

"What! But that will only extend the match a few minutes more! Why put your Pokémon in so much pain!?" I yelled out. Just what is Rail thinking? This would harm his Pokémon even more than mine, Pikachu was immune to Electric attacks, especially of these levels. He should have returned his Pokémon if anything.

"Chha...bok!" Arbok hissed out its name as its fangs began glowing themselves, absorbing much of the electricity and saving it from some of the pain.

I have to admit, this Arbok is _one determined _Pokémon. Jessie's Arbok would have lost in a fraction of the time the Arbok in front of him was holding out.

But finally, just as it was to be, Arbok had to release Pikachu from its jaws, showing blue coloured wounds on the sides of Pikachu, indicating poisoning. Arbok itself fell flat on the ground, panting badly, with its slit tongue out of its mouth, and electricity burns on most of its body. Still, Arbok wasn't knocked out.

Pikachu was panting badly, mostly due to the asphyxiation effect of Crunch.

"Get up Trash! Fight! I won't be losing due to your tardiness!" Rail yelled out in fury as I looked in disbelief.

"Arbok is clearly beaten! Why don't you just accept defeat and take him to a Pokémon Centre!" I just can't believe the guy in front of me! Even Paul wasn't that bad...ever.

"SHUT UP KID! I don't need to take orders from you! Arbok is _my _Pokémon, and I will say it to do as _I _want to!" Rail yelled back.

"Arbok is not your property! He is supposed to be your friend! You are supposed to care for him!"

"_Care!?" _ Rail let out the word as if it were poison. "_Friend?! _These words hold no meaning for me kid, these Pokémon are just a means for me to get fame and earn big money, nothing more." Rail said coldly.

"And Arbok..." He took out a grey shaped box with a couple of buttons on it. "**will **obey." He pushed the button, immediately causing Arbok to cry out in intense pain.

"CHAABOK!" Arbok thrashed around, unable to think of any way to have the pain reduced. The box on its neck glowed yellow, with electricity crackling around it, releasing bolts of pain directly into Arbok's interior body.

"Pikachu! Use _Iron Tail_ immediately on that box!" I yelled quickly. So that was what the box was used for... for torturing Arbok into submission. '_Just how sick is this guy!?'_

"_Pikachu!" _Pikachu moved with extreme quickness as it smashed a glowing tail over the box on Arbok's neck, immediately causing it to fall off into pieces. Despite having been in a battle with Arbok, Pikachu didn't want him to suffer under something that horrendous.

"What the hell are you doing kid!? That was the only thing keeping it under my control!" Rail said in fury.

I clenched my fists. "How dare..." I took a deep breath to calm my fury at the words of the... **trash**_**... **_in front of me "How **dare** someone like you even call himself a trainer! Pokémon are not your slaves or means to an end! Pokémon are our friends, our companions! Someone like you doesn't deserve to be a Pokémon Trainer!" I could have sworn I never felt as angry as I did in the moment right now.

"You...I will make you pay runt! Just wait and watch! Machamp, Golem, Beedril , Spearow, Dugtrio, Kadabra! Come out and teach this kid a lesson!" Rail exclaimed as he threw all of his six Pokeball into the air. All of the powerful Pokémon appeared with cold looks on their faces, intent on following every order given.

Seeing the situation escalate to dangerously high levels, Pikachu and Gengar stood protectively in front of Ash.

"PIDGEOTTT!" With an audible click and flash, Pidgeot appeared in all its glory, eyes blazing with unrestrained anger over the facts it had just heard from the opposing trainer.

"You guys..." I muttered with a smile. "We have to protect Arbok too!" I said as me and all of my Pokémon took a defensive stance against Arbok. Even then I knew that Rail could just recall Arbok into his Pokeball, but I had to do _something._

Arbok watched all this with shocked wide eyes. Even since he had been an Ekans, he had been under the control of Rail. Never had he had a happy moment with him. All of Rail's Pokémon had been fully evolved by the time he had been captured and thus were never sympathetic towards him, rather choosing to treat him just like Rail. After evolving into Arbok, he had thought things might get better, but it was not to be... nothing changed for him.

But now... seeing a random person trying to actually_ help _him? It was unbelievable for Arbok.

Just as the situation was about to explode, a familiar siren took everyone's attention.

"Hold it right there!"

I turned around and felt immediate relief as I saw Officer Jenny arriving on her motorcycle. A Growlithe rode on the attached mini car on the bike.

But how? No one here caller her and it was too far out for this to be a normal patrol-

"-That would be me, Sir." A mechanical voice I hadn't heard for quite some time reached my ears.

"Dexter!?"

"Of course sir, I used an SOS to inform the nearest available Officer Jenny." Dexter informed me.

"Wow! Thanks a lot Dexter!" '_Dexter's actually quite helpful!'_

"No problem, sir." Dexter replied courteously.

'_Shit! With the Police here... I've gotta make my escape.' _Ralph thought to himself as he recalled every one of his Pokémon bar Kadabra and Arbok.

Officer Jenny's bike kicked up a dust cloud as she stooped it. Getting off the bike with practised ease, she immediately ran towards the two trainers, with Growlithe leading her.

"Trainer Rail, stand down immediately!" Jenny warned the ready-to-escape trainer as she reached the mini battleground.

Rail immediately turned to Kadabra. "Kadabra, teleport us back." Kadabra nodded as it readied its spoons. Rail immediately turned towards Arbok's fallen form to return it back, but soon realized that he won't be able to with the multitude of people guarding it.

"Grr... Know what kid? If you want this loser Pokémon, then fine..." Rail took out Arbok's Pokeball from his pocket, and to my shock, crushed it to pieces under his foot. "Keep it."

"Bastard." I growled. But before I or Officer Jenny could make any move to apprehend him, both Rail and Kadabra vanished into a flash of light, indicating that the Teleport was successful.

"Kadabra had a pretty short time to use _Teleport_, their location can't be too far out. Don't worry Ash we might even get him." Officer Jenny said, even though she didn't really sound that confident.

I nodded, but my immediate concern was towards Arbok, who was still lying on the ground. A couple of faint marks were present on its hood from the machine previously attached, and he was still suffering from the after-effects of the _Thundershock_ from Pikachu.

All in all, Arbok needed to get to a Pokémon Centre.

I approached the serpentine Pokémon, who watched me with an emotion I couldn't really understand, but I knew that it wasn't fear or anger. Arbok didn't even look particularly sad at having his Pokeball crushed, which wasn't all that odd seeing Rail's attitude towards him.

"Hey buddy." I said, as gently as I could. Arbok flinched at my voice, but it was probably due to the silence surrounding it from before.

"Listen Arbok, we need to get you to a Pokémon Centre as soon as possible, so hold on ok?" I asked Arbok. Seeing as it was a pretty large Pokémon, Arbok needed to at least co-operate properly with us.

But Arbok did something that shocked everyone around. He calmly moved his head towards one of the Pokeballs attached to my belt, one of the empty ones, and pressed its button. Arbok disappeared in a red flash, as it was customary for newly caught Pokémon, the Pokeball vibrated twice, then became still.

I had just caught an Arbok.

Everyone stood in shocked silence for a little while. After seeing Arbok's disobedience towards his previous trainer, what had happened now would have been the last possible scenario in their minds. "Well...wasn't that something." Jenny commented lightly, an amused smile on her face.

"...Yeah."

**OMAKE**

_**May POV**_

I giggled loudly as Ash pushed me on a swing. I grabbed the ropes tightly so as to not fall off from the momentum of the swing.

"Aah! Ash, slow down a little!" I yelled in a squeaky voice to Ash, who laughed.

"Aww! Come on May, it was just getting _fun!_" He tried to coax me, but I wasn't bulging. "Ok alright, I'll stop." He agreed. Well, that's my Ash, always so nice to me.

As I got up from the swing, I noticed that the world around me was very blurry, with only Me and As clearly visible. Still, for some reason, that didn't bother me.

"Come on May, let's go somewhere else." Ash said as he extended his hand towards me. While I had held his hands several times before, for some reason _this _time it felt more...special.

"But where to Ash?" I asked as I ran along with him.

"That'll ruin the surprise May. You just have to wait and watch!" Ash said with a cheeky grin towards me.

As we ran along for a while, I noticed that the world around us was noticeably blank. I couldn't even make out any trees or boulders, or even houses.

After running together for a while, we reached a hill side. I gasped as I looked over the beautiful view from there, with the flowing meadows, the serene grass shining the full moon-

Wait. Full moon? Hillside? Wasn't it day time just a second ago? And weren't we in Pallet town?

"May." I was broken from my thoughts as I turned towards Ash, whose face was _very _close to me.

"Ash." My voice came out as a whisper.

Our lips moved in perfect synchronicity, it was as if the world had exploded in a thousand lights for me. The passion and love I felt, the slimy feel of his face along with the sour taste-

Wait what. _Sour taste?_ I opened my eyes, only to wish I never had...

...Because in front of my face was not Ash, but a purple coloured blob I knew all too well.

"Muuuukkkkk" Muk hugged me with a wide smile.

I did the only sensible thing anybody would possible have.

I screamed.

**XXX**

**A/N: There's one thing I gotta confess people... I won't be able to update too much for the next month or three...or thirty. Look, the thing is, writing Fanficiton has got to the point where it is more of a crime for me to do so. **

**My Parents are constantly drilling me to study harder for the upcoming Medical Entrance Examinations next year, so things like **_**Fun... **_**and **_**life**_** don't really exist in my dictionary any more. Any Indian person under the age of 18 can attest to whatever I have ranted.**

**But make no mistake, I won't be abandoning this story. If I have to bunk my classes to go to a Cyber Cafe to write the next chapter... then by god I'mma do it.**

**Later, Tango Charlie O.U.T.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Yo, Here's the new Chapter. **

**I do not own Pokémon. I would have challenged Nintendo to a Rap battle, but they have a power that I just cannot overcome, no matter what I do…..**

**The Power of Engrish. Nothing can defeat Engrish.**

**XXX**

"And I'm telling you that it's a very powerful Pokémon!" Ash's voice came out as a yell.

"Pikachu can probably defeat it in one move!" A feminine voice yelled back.

"They have been going at it for five minutes now….. Should we do something?" Daisy asked with concern to her two sisters.

"Nah, its like, a lover's quarrel! Daisy, we don't need to do anything." Lily brushed off her sister's concern. Violet simply watched the scene in front of her with amusement.

"Hmm….maybe your right. Just imagine if they end it with an angry and passionate kiss…" Daisy said with a sigh.

"Yeah…..our little sis and her long time 'boy' friend." Violet gushed in the same manner.

"THAT'S IT! _**MY **_Gyrados vs. _**your**_ Arbok! Right here, Right now!" Misty screamed at Ash, the sheer air rushing out of her mouth making Ash's hair flow wildly. Misty was apparently less-than-impressed with the newest Pokémon of Ash. Seeing Arbok being defeated by a single _Thundershock_ for years had made a permanent opinion of Misty's mind over the power of that particular Pokémon.

"You got it!" Ash screamed back, both of them stomping their way over to the gym's main battle area. Ash naturally didn't take this perceived belittling of his Pokémon too well.

"…...or maybe not."

"Pika pi….." Pikachu just sighed sadly at the behavior of two of the people he knew all too well.

"Aww poor little guy.. Come on Pikachu, you can stay with us!" Lily said to the cute looking Pokémon in front of her.

"CHU!" And Pikachu was all too happy to agree.

**XXX**

"Gyrados honey, come on out and show Ash just who he is dealing with." Misty said calmly as a low, but still audible growl came from under the surface of the huge Pool which served as the battling area of Cerulean City's Gym.

A huge serpentine Pokémon emerged out of the water. The aforementioned Pokémon had huge jaws, enough to fit a Rhyhorn into them which remained permanently opened. A three pointed dark blue crest on its head gave it a regal appearance. The Pokémon let out an absolutely insane growl as it came out from the water, honestly scaring the shit out of Ash.

Ash audibly gulped at the huge form of the Atrocious Pokémon. But shaking his head immediately after, he took a determined stance. He wasn't about to get his newest friend humiliated because he was _scared._ He had faced _and _defeated Legendary Pokémon before…this was nothing compared to that.

"Arbok, I choose you!" Ash yelled as he threw Arbok's Pokeball towards one of the floating platforms in the pool.

"CHAABOK!" Arbok let out a determined hiss as it emerged from its Pokeball. The 18 feet long Serpent stared down the 21 feet long one. While most Pokémon would have been highly intimidated, Arbok wasn't one to be so. Even in the wild Arbok were highly egoistical Pokémon, never backing down from a challenge or showing fear. And in all honesty, Arbok's size wasn't all that short from Gyrados.

"Dexter….give me some info on Arbok." Ash said in a light tone to Dexter, who beeped in understanding and immediately scanned Arbok.

"_**National Pokedex Entry #24: Arbok**_

_**This Pokémon is terrifically strong in order to constrict things with its body. It can even flatten steel oil drums. Once Arbok wraps its body around its foe, escaping its crunching embrace is impossible.**_

**This Arbok has the Ability: Shed Skin  
This Arbok knows the moves: Acid Spray, Crunch, Dig, Thunder Fang, Ice Fang, Coil, Haze, Smokescreen, Sludge Wave, Sludge Bomb, and Hyper Beam."**

"Arbok's pretty strong!" Ash whispered in awe. If Rail knew that Arbok knew all of these moves….. That guy would have sold his left nut to keep a hold over it.

"Thanks Dexter. You've been extremely helpful to me." Ash said with gratitude towards his sentient computer.

"I-It's no problem Sir!" Dexter said, a bit shyly over the praise.

"Trainer's ready?" An official sounding voice rang out, startling Ash.

Seeing both Ash and Misty nod, the Gym's Referee threw both his hands down. "Begin!"

"Gyrados! Start up by _Hydro Pump_!" Misty ordered to Gyrados, who let out a growl in understanding as it fired a massive beam of water towards Arbok, whose muscles tensed as it prepared to follow whatever command Ash gave.

"Arbok get into the water!" Ash commanded as Arbok immediately jumped into the water. The _Hydro Pump_ hit a split second later, the effect nullified by Arbok's presence in a large body of water. Nevertheless, Arbok was knocked a great deal inside the pool, showing just how powerful the Hydro Pump really was.

"You're in _our _territory now Ash. Gyrados get into the water and fish out Arbok!" Misty yelled to her monstrous Pokémon, overconfidence seeping into her early in the match.

'_Damn…. Arbok needs some help now. But it can't hear me while deep inside the water, I've gotta wait till it comes near the surface!'_ Ash thought to himself, a little bit of panic coming into his mind. Even though Arbok was more than an adept swimmer; its ears didn't work all that well at heights that deep.

Meanwhile Gyrados had readily jumped into the water, its natural habitat, and began searching for Arbok. He didn't have to search for long as the purple serpent was swimming for the surface at great speeds.

Meeting Arbok head on, both Gyrados and Arbok rammed their heads, its larger size providing Gyrados an advantage. Gyrados and Arbok continued their melee in the water, with both Pokémon twisting and turning to get a good hit on their respective adversaries. Gyrados used its _Water Gun_ in conjunction with its physical attacks, getting a greater speed than Arbok. Soon, its type advantage proved too much for Arbok as Gyrados wrapped up Arbok in a powerful _Coil_.

Arbok hissed out in pain as its own maneuver was used again itself. The _Coil_ also provided a greater advantage to Gyrados in the sense that it could suffocate Arbok with ease. While Arbok and its pre-evolution, Ekans, could well on stay in water for more than an hour, being strangulated by a physically superior Pokémon like Gyrados didn't bode well for them.

Ash gritted his teeth, knowing that Gyrados could just stretch this out to get a cheap victory. Seeing the smug grin on Misty's face didn't help matters.

However during all this, Gyrados and Arbok's thrashing had brought them much closer to the surface of the water, thus making it possible for Ash to give orders now.

'_Dang! Arbok can't use Bite or Thunder Fang… Bite won't even scratch Gyrados and Thunder Fang would end up causing more damage to Arbok itself than anything else…. What can I do….what..wha- THAT'S IT!'_

"Gonna give up Ash?" Misty asked to her long time friend and crush. Even though she would support Ash in the Champions League, getting a victory for her won't feel bad at all. "Don't worry, Gyrados is my strongest Pokémon, Arbok didn't have a chance from the beginning." She said, intending to taunt Ash. But much to her surprise, Ash didn't answer back nor did he look worried at all, rather he had a smirk on his face.

"Arbok, use _Acid Spray_ in the water!" Ash yelled triumphantly, knowing that now he had the upper hand in the match.

'_Huh? What's that gonna do?' _Misty thought confusedly.

"Cha*blob blob* bok!" Arbok let out a stream of thick purple liquid around itself. The stream hissed as it came into contact with water, the difference in pH causing the mini reactions. Even though Gyrados tightened its reign around Arbok, the Cobra Pokémon continued letting out the Acid into the water.

The change wasn't clear to Misty and Gyrados instantly, but soon, Gyrados began wiggling around inside the water in discomfort, while its grip against Arbok loosened. As Arbok continued letting out the _Acid Spray_, it sprayed some onto its opponent itself, the Acid creating a mini layer on the scaly body of Gyrados. The Acid, besides reacting against Gyrados skin, also added to the Acid already present in the vicinity.

Gyrados let out a pain filled roar as the Acidic water reached its eyes and sensitive parts, providing enough opportunity for Arbok to use a _Bite_ to escape.

Arbok immediately rushed towards the surface, coiling up on one of the platforms and taking deep breaths to restore the Oxygen it lost during the underwater melee.

Misty was in complete disbelief over what she had just witnessed."NO WAY! How did you even think of something like that!?"

"Making the water Acidic enough for Gyrados to loosen up?" Ash asked with a smirk, getting a tick mark to appear on Misty's forehead. "Truth be told, even I don't know what just happened. I just read an article on the XtremeDex which described how Arboks kept their territory safe from other Pokémon by making their surrounding areas Acidic. I didn't know whether it would work on something like Gyrados…." He then gave a look towards Gyrados, who was still rushing blindly in the water "….And by the looks of it….it worked."

"And by the way, don't stop using _Acid Spray_ Arbok! Get Arbok out…or rather _fish it out!" _Ash said with a grin, turning back misty's earlier taunt on her.

"Chabokkkka!" Arbok was more than happy to agree, taking pleasure in the pain its opponent felt.

Realizing that situations could turn from bad to worse for her if she did not take an immediate decision, Misty yelled "Gyrados, immediately get out of the water!"

Ash grinned. Now that Gyrados was out of the water, things were on more than even ground between him and Arbok. '_I have no doubt that Gyrados has more raw power than Arbok…..but that doesn't mean we're gonna lose!'_

"Gyrados! Use _Rain Dance_!" Misty commanded her Pokémon, causing Ash to curse. Gyrados started moving erratically for a few seconds, twisting and turning its body as a blue glow came onto it.

Rain clouds appeared out of nowhere in the roofed structure, by what magic Ash did not know. Pretty soon it started raining, effectively nullifying the Acidic effect on Gyrados's body; not so much for the pool water, which had an obscene amount of Acid mixed into it.

"Now Gyrados, use _Flamethrower_!" Misty said to her Pokémon, confident that the next move would help it win.

"Dodge it by getting into the water Arbok!" Ash said as he grit his teeth. With only two platforms present on the surface; the pool provided an immense disadvantage for the non water type Pokémon competing here. More so in the rare case that the opponent happened to Misty's powerful Gyrados.

While Arbok tried to dodge immediately, it could not as the _Flamethrower_ hit its hood. Arbok cried out in pain as it was pushed backwards into the water, the cool liquid providing momentary relief. "Cha." Arbok grunted as it slithered quickly into the water; displeased to get back into the same niche from which it had escaped minutes prior. But the _Flamethrower_ had caused much damage to its hide, and the water was the perfect place to be in.

'_Well….at least Gyrados can't get in…to.. the….. wat…er?'_ Ash's thoughts were rapidly turned as Misty ordered Gyrados to use _Hydro Pump_ on the pool water, the excessive water nullifying the Acidic pH into a neutral one. '_There goes the time to think about strategies.'_ Ash deadpanned to himself.

Not even wasting a moment, Gyrados jumped into the water, intent on hunting Arbok down after the agony it had suffered due to it.

"Gyrados, end it using _Ice Beam_!" Misty was getting a bit more desperate now; the battle had gone far longer than she had estimated.

"Gya!" Gyrados roared as it launched a whitish blue beam towards Arbok, who managed to avoid it closely. Both Arbok and Ash knew that if the _Ice Beam_ hit any part of Arbok, the match was as good as over since its speed would be greatly reduced.

Suddenly, one of the beams partially hit Arbok, freezing part of its tail, and immediately reducing much of its mobility. Using _Ice beam_ in water had the added effect of causing even more damage than when used on ground.

With the scenario getting bleak, Ash was getting desperate. "Arbok, use _Smokescreen_ in the water to hide yourself!" Ash could only hope that the second most basic point about Arboks and Sevipers proved to be true inside water.

'_What is Ash thinking?'_ Misty thought to herself, more curious that anything else. From the many unorthodox strategies Ash had devised in this very match, she could admit at least to herself that she was quite intrigued.

Arbok obeyed without any question, a stream of smoke exiting from its mouth; converting to sludge and slime into the water. Nevertheless, visibility turned to zero underwater, with neither of the trainers able to see their Pokémon.

"Ugh….that's gonna take a long time to clean up…." Lily groaned to herself, the action being mimicked by the other two sisters as well as the Gym Referee.

"What are you gonna do now Ash?" Misty asked to herself. "Now that the water is all dark, not even Gyrados will be able to find Arbok, but they will have to come out after some time and that is when we will win!" She exclaimed, hoping to see at least a worried expression on Ash's friend, she was rather worried by the semi-confident smirk.

"That's what you think Misty. But as for Arbok, well he has a special weapon."

Ash then turned towards the pool, internally debating whether he should go ahead with the strategy or not, seeing as it could easily turn out to be a waste of energy.

And Arbok looked pretty damn tired the last time it came up on the surface.

'_It's do or die…. Or lose'_ "Arbok, use _Sludge Bomb_ on Gyrados!" He yelled, hoping to the heavens above that Arbok could hear his voice over all of the water and smoke.

Everyone present around watching the battle was turned for a loop from this sudden order of Ash's.

"But how will Arbok even find Gyra-" Misty was silenced a couple of small booms came from the water surface, a large amount of the smoky water going up. Gyrados's pain filled cries filled the air as multiple _Sludge Bombs_ hit it.

"Use _Sludge Wave_ around you Arbok, and then continue using _Sludge Bombs_!" Ash yelled, clenching a fist in excitement as his theory proved true. Even though _Sludge Bomb_ was a pretty strong attack, Ash could only guess that its power reduced exponentially in the water, and with the _Sludge Wave_, he made the water almost impossible for Gyrados for moving in. Arbok, being accommodated in moving through swamps and the underground, didn't experience any such problems of his own.

Misty's uses had widened in sheer disbelief over what was happening in front of her eyes. She was being overwhelmed in _her _element, Water, by a Pokémon not even belonging to the type. Her panic began to rise as the water turned extremely murky, the _Sludge Wave_ showing its merit.

But one thing still baffled her-" How are the _Sludge Bombs_ even hitting Gyrados!? How is Arbok able to hit on target!?" Misty asked Ash.

Ash smiled. "While you may not know it Misty, Arbok has Thermal Vision, so moves like _Haze_ and _Smokescreen_ doesn't affect it in the least."

"Grr… Gyrados, please try to come out of the water!" Misty yelled in desperation to her Pokémon.

"Arbok, keep on using the _Sludge Bombs_!" Ash yelled, he wasn't going to lose now. He knew full well that Gyrados hadn't expelled much of its power had could still finish off Arbok in one move if given the time.

Soon, a slithering mass of bruised and battered scales came thrashing up on the surface; Misty's Gyrados was severely weakened. The muddied water caused it to expel even more energy in order to perform a task as simple as move onto the platform.

Arbok followed soon after, its hide showing burn marks and the tail suffering from Frostbite; but its mobility far more than Gyrados due to having experience of moving in such surfaces.

Both of the Pokémon panted harshly as they got onto their relating platforms. Their glares were heated as they watched at their respective figures of momentary hate. Both of the Pokémon were running on pure adrenal after performing such high level moves in quick succession.

Both Ash and Misty knew that whatever orders they would give their respective Pokémon would probably be their last stand, so gathering their wits, both yelled-

"Gyrados!" –"Arbok!"

"**Hyper Beam!"** Both of the voices came out as one, their eyes widening momentarily at having announced the same move.

Both Arbok and Gyrados let out beastly roars as they began charging up a yellow sphere in their mouths, the sharp teeth of both the apex predators fully visible now. The yellow balls grew in size for a few seconds, by which time they were as large as Baseballs. With a resounding cry of their names, both of the Pokémon launched their attacks, the yellow sphere converting into a beam of pure destruction.

Both the beams met in a spectacular display, their yellow colors turning to Golden from their sheer power, which combined as they met. Both of the Pokémon began struggling for dominance as the impact point moved back and forth. A sphere made of pure energy was created in the middle, showing that the powers of the _Hyper Beams_ were combining.

"Uhh…..we better get down….." The Referee said nervously to the group behind him.

Ash and Misty shouted their respective support to their Pokémon, the small crowd comprising of the Gym staff and Misty's sisters covered their eyes, the brightness too much for them.

Then…. the sphere exploded, creating a huge mushroom cloud on the point of impact as the muddled water flew around, a small amount evaporating from the sheer heat generated at the impact point. A sound equal to a canon ball going off was heard as the explosion occurred

"W-who w-won?" Daisy asked, coughing a little as she bleakly opened her eyes.

The Referee, unable to see clearly, didn't respond immediately. But as the cloud settled, both of the Pokémon's silhouette was visible, both lay out on the ground, swirls having replaced their eyes.

The match was a draw.

The referee announced as such as both the trainers returned their Pokémon, opposite looks on their faces.

Ash looked overjoyed at the result. And why shouldn't he be? Drawing with a Pokémon as strong as Gyrados spoke volumes of Arbok's true strength and potential.

Misty on the other hand looked completely shocked. Gyrados was her strongest Pokémon, and Ash's Arbok had been able to defeat it!? '_Maybe I do need to train harder…'_

Both Ash and Misty approached each other, with the small crowd waiting in baited silence to see just what happened next. The match was furiously high octane for a seemingly random battle, rather looking like a knockout round of a regional league. Pikachu quickly made its way up its trainers shoulder.

Misty smiled as she extended her hands, causing Ash to blink. "You did very well Ash." She said genuinely. "You proved me completely wrong; Arbok indeed is a very capable battler." She said, feeling a bit of shame at having dismissed Arbok so easily.

Ash merely smiled. "No problem Misty, although I must say that Gyrados was one of the strongest Pokémon I have battled." Ash said with honesty.

As the two friends exchanged words Lily and Violet were engaged in a discussion of their own.

"Lil' Sis. did well, didn't she?" Lily asked to her sister.

Said sister shook her head in the negative. "To be honest Lil, no she did not."

Lily was shocked by the answer. "B-But how? She drew with Arbok, didn't she?"

"Think 'bout it Lily, Arbok was a Pokémon that Ash had captured two days ago, and still he drew against Misty's Gyrados, which is her best Pokémon. That just shows that Misty has a great way to go before she could call herself a true Water Pokémon Master." Daisy explained further, leaving Lily a bit baffled over the sudden intelligence her sister showed about the art of Pokémon battling.

Ash stayed at the Gym for another hour or so, the time necessary for Arbok to recover in the Pokémon center. Even though he would have liked spending more time with Misty, he knew that he had to get home soon.

His epic journey awaited him.

**XXX**

_**A couple of hours later…**_

**Ash POV**

A dust cloud was created as a large Pidgeot landed in front of the famous laboratory of Professor Oak.

"Thanks Pidgeot! You can go and meet up with the others." I said, looking towards Pidgeot. Seeing as we were at the laboratory, there was no need for Pidgeot to stay inside a Pokeball. Pikachu jumped from the top of Pidgeot.

Pidgeot cooed happily as it flapped its majestic wings and took off towards the large canopy of trees, where Staraptor, Swellow, Unfezant and Noctowl usually rested.

I stretched out my legs as Pikachu did the same. Man flying really tires one out. "Come on Pikachu, let's go meet the Professor." Pikachu fell in step with me as we entered the Laboratory.

After searching for a while, we found Professor sipping tea in his Living Room.

"Ah, Ash! What a pleasant surprise, come on in." Oak said with a smile as I entered the room.

"Hey Professor Oak." "Pikachu!" Both of us sat on the sofa opposite to the one Professor was sitting on.

"So how was your journey Ash? Catch some new Pokémon?" Professor Oak asked curiously as he continued sipping his tea.

A grin came to my face. "Two actually." I said proudly.

One of Oak's eyebrows rose in curiosity. "Really? Mind showing me?"

I nodded and stood up. Taking the two Pokeballs on my belt, I pressed the button on their center to enlarge them before calling them out. "Come on out guys!"

"Gengarrr!" "Chabokka!" Both of the Pokémon arrived with their respective cries. Gengar floated around with the perpetual mischievous look on its face, while Arbok was coiled up, not intending to cause any damage to the closed up room due to its large size.

Professor Oak moved forward to inspect the two Pokémon, which had the two beings look in confusion at each other. Regardless, both were calm in the presence of their Trainer.

"Impressive." Oak finally said after taking a few looks on them. "Gengar is very well conditioned. The Gaseous particles that make its body do not have irregular coloration, so it is safe to say that it has had a very balanced diet. It also looks to be Levitating without much concentration, pretty impressive for a Gengar." Since Gengars received two legs after evolving, their Levitating abilities were usually reduced a bit, but the Gengar in front of Oak was a pretty impressive specimen.

"Arbok's scales look shiny and its length is also a bit above average. And now that I look accurately, its facial pattern is also of a _Speed forme _so it will definitely help in the kind of battles you have Ash."

I was just glad that the two marks on Arbok's hood had been able to be healed by Nurse Joy. But the thing about _forme _confused me. "What do you mean by _Speed Forme_, Professor?" I asked. Even Arbok was a bit confused by the sudden mention.

"I am not surprised that you do not know about it Ash, it's not really common knowledge after all." Oak said with a smile as he motioned for me to sit back on the sofa, while he took back his own place.

"The designs you see on Arbok's hood, they are the ones which decide the _Forme _that your Arbok has."

"Designs? But I have only seen one type of pattern on Arboks hood." I was rather confused. While it was true that I had not had much experience with Arboks, other than Team Rocket's, whenever I had seen an Arbok in the wild it had the same type of Pattern.

"You see, Arboks usually have the _Standard Forme_ on their hoods. That's the one most trainers notice. What is not known to the masses is that Arbok's facial patterns come in Six Forms, out of which three are known; _Attack, Speed _and _Standard_. Your Arbok has a speed boosting Pattern, so without a shadow of a doubt, it will come much handy for you." Oak explained to me.

I looked at Arbok in a new light, as did Pikachu and Gengar. "Wow Arbok, you are really good!" I complimented the purple colored Pokémon, who blushed a bit at the praise it received from Ash, Pikachu and Gengar.

Having been under an abusive trainer for much of its life, the change in scenario was an extremely happy one for Arbok.

"So Gary told me that you will be leaving for this… 'Training Trip' of yours tomorrow?" I nodded at that. "I see…..so what is it that you plan to do during this trip?" Oak asked curiously.

"First of all, I am planning to go to Johto; there is someone I have to meet there…." A memory crossed my face…. A memory of a Pokémon I had not seen from the days of my Johto journeys.

I could only hope that it was still free.

Oak nodded, not intending to pry. "And what after that? While I agree that Mt. Silver is a great place to train in Johto, is that your plan?" He asked.

I opened my mouth to speak, before faltering a bit. While I had been training pretty hard for the last few days, I was banking on making the most out of my Training Trip. But now that I think about it… what exactly can I do while travelling around that I can't in the comfort of Oak's Laboratory?

"I see that you're pretty confused." Oak noted.

"Yes professor… now that I am thinking about it, where exactly can I go for my Training Trip? I have never travelled just for the purpose of Training…" I trailed off.

Seeing his confusion, Oak spoke up "May I suggest something to you?" At my nod he continued. "Why not take on the Sinnoh Battle Frontier?"

I was rather taken aback at the suggestion. But then a sudden thought hit me "But Professor, aren't all the Gyms and Contests closed for this season? Is the Battle Frontier even active?"

"No, the Battle Frontier remains open all the time, regardless of what the gyms and Contests might follow. The main reason for this is that unlike the Gyms, only a very low number of people manage to defeat even the first Frontier Brain, so there's no need for the others to compete. So the Battle Frontier will be the best option for you to test out your skills in an official capacity."

It was then that he decided to add something more "And moreover, the Frontier Facilities are located quite nearby, so you can finish it in a maximum period of three months, giving you much time to capture new Pokémon and train with them."

I nodded as a smile came to my face. I had already won the Kanto Battle Frontier, Sinnoh didn't sound bad at all! But I still had one last question "Why particularly Sinnoh, Professor? Why not Unova, Hoenn or Johto?"

"You don't know? The Hoenn region and the Kanto region share the same Battle Frontier, while Sinnoh and Johto do the same. And as for Unova, well it doesn't have a Battle Frontier of its own, and is too far away from the mainland to share one."

Oak said as he listed the regions. He was rather concerned at Ash's extreme lack of knowledge over such things, but there was hardly anything he could do for that.

I hummed in understanding, but one look towards Pikachu, Arbok and Gengar made up my decision without any doubt.

"We are gonna take on the Sinnoh Battle Frontier!"

**XXX**

_**Night time**_  
**Pokémon POV**

"_Hey yo? Where are the new guys?" _Blastoise asked anxiously as he looked at his fellow friends.

"_Don't know Boss. Pikachu did say they are gonna come soon."_ Dewott said as he looked at his 'Boss'. Ever since Blastoise had taken Dewott under his wing, Dewott began calling Blastoise '_Boss'_.

"_I must say, even I am highly intrigued by the identities of our new comrades."_ Noctowl said in his usual smart manner as he turned his head near 180 degrees to look for any sign of the newbies.

"_Could it be Lapras? We haven't seen her for a long time_." Snorlax rumbled out, for once taking part in a conversation. Having training hard for the past few days had made Snorlax into a much more desirable living being to be around.

"_Why couldn't Pidg just tell us_?" Unfezant asked, her sweet tone while mentioning Pidgeot not going unnoticed by the surrounding Pokémon. Nevertheless, all refrained from commenting.

Dewott being left at a near death stage was a constant reminder for most.

"_Apparently, he and Pikachu wanted to 'surprise us'_." Charizard muttered out sarcastically. He was quite annoyed by the constant wait.

All of the Pokémon fell into quieted mutterings, talking among themselves. Torkoal and Croconaw discussed how their respective training regimes were coming through. Torkoal had been humiliated at his own loss against Tobias and wanted to prove his worth to Ash.

For Croconaw, his pride had been hurt immensely by his own weak state. Being a predator Pokémon, living a comfortable life at the ranch had spoiled him. He didn't mind the training Ash put him through, not at all.

Quilava, Infernape and Pignite were comparing their respective fires. The bodily flames of Fire Pokémon were the source of their pride and ego. Having a weak flame deemed one unworthy for competition.

Staraptor, Gliscor and Swellow just lazed around in the canopy of a few trees, tired of all the waiting around.

Palpitoad and Buizel were having a mini race around the pond. Having been the 'Bosses' of their respective home areas, both Pokémon engaged in mock battles and competition to test their strengths. While it was clear to anyone perspective enough that Buizel was the better one, Palpitoad constantly tried to make himself better.

Corphish and Kingler were just cackling their claws, seeing whose made the most kind of noises.

Donphan and Tauros were testing their Teeth, and Horns respectively, against each other. Being Pokémon of similar build, Bouffalant, Donphan and Tauros had intense rivalries even in the wild.

"_Alright that's enough_!" Charizard roared out, startling many of the Pokémon in the vicinity. "_If the runt doesn't bring them…. I'm gonna find them myself!"_ The Dragon stated angrily as he stood.

Suddenly, the air grew a lot colder, and considering that Glailie wasn't around, it was pretty strange.

Charizard felt a sudden shiver on his back. Turning around a _tad bit_ nervously, he was confused a bit as he found nothing.

'_Strange…'_ The chill didn't go away, rather it felt to Charizard as if something was crawling on its back.

"_Whyyyy heeloooooooo Charizarddddddd"_ A somewhat familiar raspy voice came into Charizard's ear, scaring the shit out of him.

Charizard's sudden scream attracted the attention of a lot of Pokémon as they readied their respective weapons. Blastoise's cannons clicked, Quilava's fire blew up and Snivy's vines came out.

"_W-Who? W-What_-" Charizard fearfully let out as he turned hither tither.

"_Why_….." Gengar materialized before the group, making a lot of them step back. "….._I am surprised you don't remember me. But I think it cannot be helped…after all, you were a little Charmander_ _back then_." Gengar rasped out, still grinning widely.

Blastoise, Bulbasaur and Charizard's eyes widened. "_N-no way! You're Hau-!"_ Charizard was interrupted as Gengar laughed.

"_I see that you remember me! Yes, IT'S ME, IT'S ME, IT'S GENGAR-E-P!" _

"_Dude! Where were you all these days!?"_ Blastoise asked in extreme confusion as he looked towards the Pokémon that he had not seen for nearly 6 years.

"_Ahh, patience my frieeend. Master Ash caught me back then, but decided to leave me with Miss. Sabrina."_ Gengar started as he explained the circumstances towards his sudden arrival.

"**THUNDERBOLT**!" A sudden voice came as Gengar got enveloped in electricity.

"_**AAAHH! FUCK! SHIT!"**_ Gengar cursed as it was fried to the bone….err Gas?

Snivy duly covered little Scraggy's ears.

"_You MORON_!" Pikachu yelled as he came into the clearing. _"I told you to wait! Why the hell did you come before us!" _Pidgeot soon came hovering above Pikachu. Pidgeot too, looked irritated, but didn't do anything.

Giving another Thundershock to Gengar for good measure, he finally pointed towards the bushes.

"_You can come out now_." Pikachu grumbled out in a less than enthusiastic tone as the bushes rustled.

'_Another one?'_

"_Hello my new comradessssssssssss_." A hiss came from the bushes as a Pokémon much familiar to most of the gang came out.

"_An Arbok_!?" Bulbasaur looked at the newest member of their squad in surprise.

"_Isss there a problem?"_ Arbok asked as he narrowed his eyes.

Bulbasaur blinked once before calmly saying _"Not at all friend, but a Pokémon of your species is certainly an unexpected capture for our trainer."_ Bulbasaur explained.

This surprised Arbok a lot. "Huh? Why so?"

_2__0 MINUTES LATER_

Arbok twitched as another shame story was told to him about how they had been defeating a Arbok with one or two moves for the past few years. Apparently, this had evolved into beating a Pokémon similar to its species, Seviper, in the recent years.

"_So… why did Ash catch a weakling like this?"_ Many Pokémon questioned.

Arbok twitched once more. '_Damn that Arbok for ruining our reputation!' _ He raged mentally. '_But no worries, I'll prove my worth to them…. Just like I'll prove it to Master Ash!'_

"_So….. anyone up for a spar?"_

**XXX**

_1 day later_

"Are you really sure you have to do this?" Delia asked her son, a tinge of worry in her voice, as she faced him on the dinner table.

Ash groaned "For the hundredth time, yes Mom."

Delia huffed "Well forgive me for worrying about _my_ son!"

"It's not like I won't like to stay around longer, Mom. But the Pokémon World Tournament is in one year, and I have to get all of my Pokémon-past and present- into shape for it. As well as get advice from some experts." Ash explained to his Mother, who still looked uncertain.

But Delia Ketchum wasn't one to stop her son from following his dreams, even if it meant that she could not spend time with him as much as before. "Alright then Ash. But stay safe, okay?"

"I wi-" Ash was about to say the obligatory response when the device on his wrist spoke up.

"Don't worry Mrs. Ketchum; it will be my duty to keep Master Ash as safe as I can!" Dexter said.

"W-Who was t-that!?" Delia asked in a frightened voice as she quickly began glancing everywhere.

Ash quickly calmed his mother down "Don't worry Mom; it was Dexter, my XtremeDex." He said as he explained the various features of Dexter to his Mother, who was awed by the advanced technology present in the little machine.

**XXX**

_The next morning_

**Ash POV**

As I stood in front of my Pokémon, I noticed with pride at seeing their noticeable growth during the short time I spent training them. Dewott looked much fitter after his training with Blastoise. The large turtle had helped out Dewott in his Water attacks, teaching him how to reduce the power wasted and increase the efficiency. These types of things were extremely necessary for Pokémon working on any kind of Rescue squad; Firefighting was no exception.

Staraptor looked buffer than before. The reason being Infernape and Pignite. Since Staraptor was one of my most efficient Pokémon, I wanted him to get more efficient in close quarter combat as well. The result was the learning of _Close Combat_ by Staraptor.

As far as I noticed, these were the only two major changes in my team members. The others were improving, true, but at a lesser rate.

But that won't be a problem.

We'll work on it during the year!

"Ready for our new journey guys?" I asked my Pokémon, who roared collectively in agreement. Almost all of my Pokémon had smiles on their faces.

They were as excited as me for the upcoming Tournament.

"I am gonna rotate all of you every week, okay guys?" I said to them. While none of them looked sad, they were all a bit disappointed. The past few days had been kind of like out of a dream for them, training all together with their trainer.

"So for this week, Dewott, Noctowl, Kingler, Snorlax and Croconaw are gonna come with me." Snorlax looked a bit sad; he had been counting on Ash to leave him so that he could laze up a bit.

Kingler and Croconaw looked the most excited out of the bunch, seeing as to how they were going on a journey after so much time.

"Kookie Kookie!" Kingler said in his usual distinctive voice as he quickly ran in my direction. Croconaw did a little dance, its movements a bit slower now that it was bigger than Totodile. Snorlax created mini earthquakes where he walked as he moved towards me.

Kingler finally jumped on me with surprising speed, seeing as how its speed was probably among the largest found in Kanto. "HAHA! Calm down buddy!" Kingler began spraying bubbles on me from its mouth, not the ones used for _Bubble Beam_ attack, but the innocent kind used for Bubble Baths.

Not wanting to have my entire new outfit ruined due to Kingler's soapy bubbles, I quickly recalled it. Pikachu laughed at my expense.

But when a sudden shadow fell upon us, we nervously looked back.

Standing in all of his 8 feet glory was Snorlax, looking in a positively evil manner towards me.

"SNOOOREEE!" I could have sworn that it was sarcasm that came from Snorlax's impossibly happy voice.

Snorlax's wide smile looked too wide to be real. "Uhm… S-Snorlax? A-Are you all right b-buddy?" I asked rather nervously as I looked towards my huge Pokémon.

"Snooorlaxxx!" Snorlax's smile, if that was possible, grew even wider, as he extended his arms motioning for me to give him a hug.

"A-Alright n-now S-Snorlax, that's enough." I squeaked out. Snorlax's eyes were visible now as he moved forward to hug me.

I could have sworn I had never been as utterly terrified as I had been after seeing Snorlax's eyes.

"P-Pika?" Pikachu looked even more scared now as he sat on my shoulder.

"NOOOOOOO!" "PIKAAAAA!"

This was the day that I experienced what it felt being crushed by a mountain.

**XXX**

_5 Days later…_

_**Johto International Port**_

A raven haired teen ran out of the ship, jumping onto the docks from a moderate height. A great number of people were startled at the abrupt display, but soon payed it no mind.

A small, yellow colored Pokémon jumped off from the same height with a resounding cry of its name, landing expertly next to the Raven haired boy.

"Ready Pikachu?" Ash asked to his long time partner.

"Pika!" Pikachu pumped its fists as it jumped onto Ash's shoulders.

"It's good to be back in Johto…" Ash muttered, a nostalgic smile on his face. He took a deep breath, enjoying the fresh air.

"And I hope you have been waiting for me….."

Ash took a determined look towards the region in front of him.

"…..Larvitar."

**XXX**

**A/N: **Boy Ash surely is in for a surprise; ain't he? *wink wink*

Okay, seriously now, is **'Ain't'** a word or not. I really want to know now. The fucking red lines always come under it…

I hope you guys have been enjoying the story so far, things are gonna kick it up a notch in the next chapter!

Answers to a few questions that a reviewer PM'd me…. Ten times.

Is Ash going to catch new Pokémon? Yes.

Is Ash going to be awesome in this fic? Yes.

Are Ash's other friends going to have a big role? Yes.

Is Tango Charlie the fastest rising Author of Fanfiction? Yes.

Yes! YES! YES! (**RESPECT THE BEARD!**)


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Yo, here's the new chapter fellas! Some nice plot development, as well as debut of some of the past characters.**

**I do not own Pokémon, but I would like to challenge Nintendo to a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors. Best two out of three!**

**Note: After reading the chapter, please read the A/N at the bottom, it's got some important information.**

**XXX**

_**Johto...**_

"I _**seriously**_ hope that you've been waiting for me Larvitar….."

Ash grunted as he pulled himself and Pikachu over the mountainous edge from which they were dangling.

"…Because if you're not…..then I'mma _** .Ass**_."

Ash and Pikachu had been making their way up Mt. Silver to look for Larvitar, but an apparent mistake in Dexter's map lead to one thing to another, and ultimately Ash and Pikachu found themselves precariously dangling off of a particularly high mountain edge.

The Johto region was known far and wide for its famous mountain ranges; and most of all, Mt. Silver. Quite simply, the region was known to battling fanatics as the one where extremely powerful, and _rare_, Pokémon were found in abundance.

Tyranitar, Salamance, Pupitar, Steelix, Metagross… you name it….. And there damn sure is one somewhere hidden in the mountains.

Naturally, many measures were taken to protect these Pokémon from capture by criminal organizations and poachers. While the matter of protecting Pokémon was indeed there, the main worry in the minds of the League was the potential destructive capabilities of these Pokémon. The past was full of legends where ancient Tyranitar and Metagross destroyed village after village in their rage.

The legend of Godzilla was known to come from an abnormally large Tyranitar.

Pokémon Rangers were deployed in the hundreds to look after the mountainous ranges. Ash had met up with Ranger Manson to get his permit to catch Pokémon in the region legally, otherwise he might have been apprehended by one of the Johto Elite four.

The raven haired boy continued his journey along the hazily created walkway as he recovered from his minor mishap. While roadways were created on the mountains, there weren't many methods to keep them maintained. Road maintenance usually took place once or twice every year, but despite their best efforts, Pokémon like Diglet, Dugtrio, Onix, Steelix and… basically every other Ground and Rock type Pokémon destroyed the roadways quite easily.

Pikachu let out a tired 'Chu' as he lay on Ash's head. The little guy was dried up due to the long walk they had taken under the scorching sun. Apparently, Ash wasn't much better as he constantly wiped up his forehead.

"THAT'S IT!" Ash screamed to the heavens as he leaned against a shady tree. He enlarged a Pokeball from his belt and tossed it forward.

"Noctowl, I choose you!" The Pokeball opened with a flash as a brown colored bird appeared. The bird had a 'shiny' aura around it, and had a much different coloration than the other Pokémon of its species.

Noctowl made an odd noise as he sat on Ash's other shoulder, accessing the situation as it always did after coming out from its Pokeball.

"Noctowl, buddy, I want you to take a look around and see whether there are ay Larvitars around, okay?" Ash said as he showed Noctowl a picture of Larvitar and its evolutions on his XtremeDex.

Noctowl nodded as he took off. A shiny aura encompassed Noctowl as it flew, its alternate coloration the reason for it.

Ash took this moment to look into the moves his current party knew. While he _had_ scanned them all while at the ranch, it was admittedly difficult for him to remember everything.

"Dexter, show me the attacks that Dewott, Snorlax, Noctowl, Kingler and Croconaw know." Ash said as the XtremeDex lighted up from its sleep mode.

"Of course sir-

"_**National Pokedex Entry #502: Dewott**_

**This Dewott has the Ability: Torrent  
This Dewott knows the Attacks: Water Gun, Hydro Pump, Water Pulse, Aqua Jet, Razor Shell, Ice Beam, and Rest"**

"Wow….. Snorlax _actually_ taught Dewott _Ice Beam…"_

"_**National Pokedex Entry #99: Kingler**_

**This Kingler has the Ability: Sheer Force  
This Kingler knows the Attacks: Mud Shot, Bubble Beam, Hydro Pump, Crabhammer, Metal Claw, Brine, Hyper Beam, and Ice Beam."**

"Most of Kingler's attacks are based around his Claws….. I've got to make him more diverse..."

"_**National Pokedex Entry #159: Croconaw**_

**This Croconaw has the Ability: Torrent  
This Croconaw knows the Attacks: Crunch, Aqua Tail, Hydro Pump, Ice Fang, Thrash, Super Power, and Dig."**

"What the frig!? Croconaw learned _that _many moves, just by evolving once!? That is just crazy.…"

"_**National Pokedex Entry #164: Noctowl**_

**This Noctowl has the Ability: Insomnia  
This Noctowl knows the Attacks: Dream Eater, Sky Attack, Hypnosis, Psychic, Zen Headbutt, Synchronise, ExtraSensory, and Shadow Ball."**

"… Noctowl's actually pretty well rounded. Almost as if it's a Psychic Type….." '_If only I could teach him Teleport….'_

"_**National Pokedex Entry #143: Snorlax**_

**This Snorlax has the Ability: Thick Fat  
This Snorlax knows the Attacks: Body Slam, Headbutt, Mega Kick, Mega Punch, Hyper Beam, Ice Punch, Ice Beam, Tackle, Protect, and Rest"**

"…..And that finishes it up. I don't really know what I can teach Snorlax….. Maybe speed…. Or staying awake during battles?" As Ash pondered over his thoughts, Noctowl had already made its way back, and by the looks of it, had definitely found something of interest.

"What's the matter Noctowl?" Ash asked the normally calm Pokémon as it hooted wildly.

Pikachu apparently understood what its friend was speaking, as he started pointing towards a particular direction frantically.

"Is something happening over there?" Ash asked. Getting an affirmative reply from the duo, he quickly packed up his bags and followed Noctowl towards the area where it was pointing to.

Jumping over shrubs, ducking under stray branches, and dodging the occasional Bellsprout, the surroundings changed rapidly from a rocky landscape to a more grassy area.

The situation became much clearer to Ash as he neared the area. Multiple explosions and stomping noises now clearly audible as he reached the clearing. Bursting out from a few bushes, Ash, Pikachu and Noctowl assessed the situation.

Three trainers, around 10 years old, were battling, and losing, against a wild Pokémon. Their own Pokémon, a Totodile, a Tailow and a Quagsire were sprayed out, defeated. Their opponent, a massive green colored armored monster, stalked menacingly near the scared shitless trainers.

The massive Pokémon was none other than a Tyranitar….

Ash immediately took action; he couldn't let these kids be injured after all. "Dewott, I choose you!" Due to Noctowl knowing mostly Psychic type attacks, it won't be much use against a powerful Dark type like Tyranitar…

**XXX**

_A few minutes earlier…._

Tyranitar let out another annoyed growl as it finished off the annoying little pest in front of him. A Totodile, if his memory was correct. The little guy had battled valiantly, but he couldn't stand in front of his might.

"Oh no! Even Totodile is down, what are we going to do now!?" One of the kids screamed hysterically as he watched the downed form of his Pokémon.

"Shut up Rickie! It's your fault that he is attacking us anyway, why the heck did you attack it!? Now he's probably going to kill and eat us!" The girl of the group nearly cried as she saw the knocked out form of her own Tailow.

Tyranitar sweatdropped as he heard what the girl was saying. Did she seriously think that he was going to kill them? He ate rocks and mountains for god's sake.

Having been raised in a human environment, Tyranitar knew the human language quite well.

"Don't worry Julia, I'll protect you! Quagsire come on out!" The last kid yelled none too bravely as he called out his Quagsire.

Tyranitar shook his head. The kids were annoying him even more than before.

"Quagsy! Use _Hydro Pump_!" The kid yelled confidently as Tyranitar stiffened up.

The newest enemy before him looked a bit stronger than the ones before, the blank expression on its face was probably one developed after several hard death matches…..

"Quagg…" Quagsire let out a dimwitted cry as it launched the _Hydro Pump_ in a completely different direction.

….or _probably _not. If he could have, Tyranitar would have face planted, but alas, he had an opponent to humiliate. Charging up a quick Hyper Beam, he launched it towards the blue colored water type.

"OH NO! QUAGY DODGE!" The cry had no effect on the beady eyed Pokémon as it scratched its head. Immediately after, the Hyper Beam hit it dead-on, knocking it out instantly.

"SHIT! Your stupid Quagsire doomed us all Jimmie!" Rickie yelled in panic as the last of their Pokémon went down.

Tyranitar was feeling a bit annoyed now…

….. screw that, it was downright pissed. He moved with a dark look towards the terrified trio, intending to scare them off, when a sudden yell alerted him.

A voice so familiar to Tyranitar that it made it freeze.

"Dewott, use Hydro Pump!" The familiar voice yelled before Tyranitar even had a chance of looking at the direction from which it came.

**XXX**

As Ash yelled for Dewott to attack, he breathed a sigh of relief at diverting the Tyranitar's attention from the three obviously rookie trainers.

But he couldn't help the feeling that he somehow knew the Pokémon in front of him…

"Sir, it's a rampaging Pokémon, should I call for SOS?" Dexter inquired.

"Nah.. I have a feeling that we can take care of it ourselves." Ash said confidently as Dexter blinked its screen in the affirmative.

"Dew!" Dewott gave an enthusiastic cry as a jet of concentrated water escaped its mouth, much stronger than the one used by Quagsire. The Hydro Pump moved at break neck speeds towards the behemoth.

Tyranitar was apparently surprised by the sudden attack as it was hit with a loud crack. The Hydro Pump made the Tyranitar skid backward a couple of inches, but nothing more. Tyranitar groaned as the water seeped into the few openings its Armor had.

'_This is one tough Pokémon… taking Dewott's Hydro Pump without flinching shows that…..'_ Dewott had been able to topple two trees while they were training, so for Tyranitar to shrug off the move so easily….. Damn.

Seeing that the attack was showing no positive effect, Dewott eased the strain. The Hydro Pump stopped immediately, finally allowing Tyranitar to face us.

However, instead of showing anger or outrage at being attacked, Tyranitar's eyes and expression showed….. Familiarity? However, Ash's surprise immediately turned to one of sheer fear as Tyranitar finally started its course of motion.

As if possessed by some spirit, Tyranitar began walking, then running towards Ash at speeds not capable for a Tyranitar to achieve. "Dewott use Aqu-" Before Ash could even complete his frantic cry, Tyranitar comically kicked Dewott out of the way, with the Pokémon squealing off into the nearby bushes.

"Oh no! He's going to kill that person!" Julia wailed out as she, Rickie and Jimmy watched with unadulterated fear.

Pikachu now jumped off its Trainer's shoulder and ran towards the charging Tyranitar. Its cheeks sparked with malicious intent, the Thunder attack seconds away from launch… only for Tyranitar to scoop up a bewildered Pikachu into its arms.

"Pika?" Pikachu blinked as Tyranitar put it on its shoulder.

As Tyranitar continued its run towards Ash, the teen remembered every one of the people who had ever helped him… death looked that certain to him.

"Sir, I would just like to say that my last few days with you were the best ones in my short life." Dexter admitted as it scanned the situation from its camera.

Ash smiled thinly. "As it was for me Dexter. Thanks for all the help."

"Of course, it _is _due to your stupidity that we are going to be obliterated..." Dexter couldn't help but make one last snarky statement. Ash really wanted to argue that the SOS call wouldn't have mattered anyway since the nearest Ranger office was 10 miles away….. But in the face of certain death, he allowed Dexter the one last victory.

When Tyranitar finally reached Ash, he was hoping for some quick slash or elemental attack, but instead…. Tyranitar picked him up in a… Hug?

'_So… it's trying to squeeze me to death? Oh well-'_

A sudden lick on his face alerted Ash to open his eyes…Wait what!? "Why the hell did Tyranitar lick me!?"

**XXX**

Tyranitar quickly kicked the nuisance off into the nearby bushes as he made his high speed run towards the Human Pokémon duo he kept the closest to his heart.

'_Pikachu….. And __**Father**__…'_ Tyranitar kept repeating the two words in its head as he moved towards the person he constantly thought off ever since the day they left him with his mother.

Pikachu came running towards him. _'Probably wants to greet me first!'_ Tyranitar thought excitedly. Nevertheless, he quickly scooped up Pikachu and continued his run towards his '_Father'_. '_Father looks quite shocked.'_ Tyranitar thought absently as he faced Ash.

Seeing Ash make no move, Tyranitar initiated the course of action. Picking up Ash in a tender, loving hug, he licked Ash's face.

"Why the hell did Tyranitar lick me!?" Came the confused voice of the teenage boy currently in Tyranitar's iron grip.

Tyranitar froze. '_Does…. Does Daddy not remember me?'_ The Dinosaur Pokémon thought despondently. Indeed, after looking at Ash's and Pikachu's faces, it was quite clear to Tyranitar that the duo did not recognize him.

Ash blinked confusedly as Tyranitar's arms loosened, allowing him to escape and make some distance between him and the Pseudo Legendary.

Ash's first thought was to order Pikachu to attack Tyranitar, seeing as he was in such an advantageous position….

But Tyranitar's actions confused the heck out of him '_Why would Tyranitar hug me? It's as if….. as if…. As if it already knows me….. but how is that possible? Larvitar's mother had a scar-'_

Ash suddenly froze. "Are…." He swallowed thickly "Are you L-Larvitar?" He questioned the giant entity.

Tyranitar's face immediately regained its color as he nodded happily. "Tyra!" Tyranitar let out a loud roar in happiness.

Pikachu was in a similar state of shock to his trainer. The massive, living, roaring behemoth of destruction before him was the once wimpy _Larvitar!?_

Ash immediately ran forward to properly hug the green colored dinosaurian Pokémon. "It's so, _so _ good to see you again Larvitar." Ash whispered as he rubbed the green armor on Tyranitar's back.

"Ra." Tyranitar muttered amusedly as he pointed towards himself, causing Ash to chuckle.

"Yeah, Yeah…. You're a big bad Tyranitar now. So what? You'll always be the little Larvitar I raised from the egg for me." Ash's words caused Tyranitar to smile happily in response, although he did hope that Ash started calling him by his proper name. It would be extremely embarrassing for him in front of a female Tyranitar to be called Larvitar by his Father.

Tyranitar then turned its attention to the yellow colored electric mouse on its shoulder, picking him up and giving him a few affectionate licks. Just like how Snorlax had done during the Sinnoh League.

Meanwhile, the three children watched with shock as the previously murderous looking Pokémon hugged the newly arrived trainer. All three of them believed that the Tyranitar would kill the new entrée, but much to their utter shock and disbelief… he began behaving like an over affectionate Growlithe around him?

'_What the Frig?'_

Ash then turned his attention towards the three children present in the vicinity. Remembering his initial reasons for coming here, he ran towards the trio after quickly patting Tyranitar one last time. Noctowl followed Ash towards the trio, intending to help the knocked out Tailow.

"Hey, are you guys alright?" Ash asked in concern as he quickly picked up Julia, who had slid to the ground among all this terror.

Julia felt her cheeks redden as the handsome black haired trainer picked her up. "T-Thank you…"

Ash merely smiled at her, before turning to the other two, who were staring at him in shock and awe. "So… are you two alright?"

"How… How did you stop that Tyranitar!" Ricky yelled in a voice that startled Ash.

"What?" He asked dumbly, not properly grasping the question.

It was the third boy, Jimmie, who asked. "How did you stop that Tyranitar from rampaging?" Jimmie asked calmly, but the awe in his voice was quite clear.

Ash smiled. "I knew him from a long time before. I left him as a Larvitar back here, it's fortunate that Tyranitar remembers me." He chuckled.

"Wow…." The three rookies were astounded that a _**Dark**_ Type Pokémon could remember, and more importantly, be so affectionate to some person.

Ash quickly called Tyranitar to their position, making the trio shudder in the presence of the Armor Pokémon.

"Ah, don't be scared guys, Tyranitar won't harm you. Isn't that right Tyranitar…." Ash asked in a stern tone to Tyranitar, who pouted a bit at being reprimanded, but nodded nonetheless.

"I-If you s-say so…" It was then that the three rookies realized that they didn't even know the name of the person who rescued them.

"Ash. My name is Ash Ketchum!" Ash said, seeing the three becoming confused.

"Nice to me meet you Ash." Julia said happily, the action was mirrored by Ricky.

But Jimmie looked at Ash with even more shock. "A-Ash Ketchum? As in Ash Ketchum, the Unova League winner?" He asked, making the other two widen their eyes as well.

Ash grinned as he pointed a thumb towards his face. "The one and the only!" Ash's proclamation was followed by an extremely girlish squeal from Jimmie, who had gotten a Pen and Paper out of nowhere.

"Please, Mr. Ash Ketchum, forgive this humble fan from not recognizing your greatness!" He crowed, making Ash, Pikachu and Tyranitar look at him with beady eyes. "The Pikachu on your shoulder should have made me aware of thy presence, but it seems my mind was seemingly playing tricks on me eyes!" Jimmie rambled on in a starry eyed manner.

Before the boy could embarrass himself even further, Ricky fortunately covered his mouth. Julia looked towards Ash with embarrassment. "Please forgive him Mr. Ash; it's just that Jimmie is a very big fan of you." She explained to Ash who looked towards the girl in disbelief. Pikachu, and Tyranitar were also looking on with beady eyes.

"Fan of mine?"

"Yes. Ever since he saw you defeat Tobias's two Pokémon in the semi-finals, and then win the Unova League, he has been a very big fan of you. He actually started his journey this year in order to meet and challenge you to a Pokémon battle." Julia said further. Meanwhile, Jimmie had gotten free from Ricky's hold and immediately stood in front of Ash with the pen and paper.

"Can I _please _get your autograph Mr. Ketchum, you are my biggest inspiration… of course after Lance, Cynthia and Steven Stone…." Jimmie said enthusiastically to Ash, who had gotten over the initial shock and grinned as he signed up the paper.

"Sure, no problem!" As Ash signed the paper, Jimmie immediately put it securely in his pocket.

"So…. Julia here told me that you guys have started out this year?" Ash asked the trio, who nodded with smiles.

"Yeah, the three of us had our birthdays pretty close by, so we decided to go on a journey together." Ricky explained.

Ash smiled at that. "That's good! You should always travel in groups, that way you'll have a much more fun and safe journey." Travelling alone was for people like Paul, who took their jobs way too seriously.

"So what are you guys going to do? Contests and Gyms are closed, so what are your aims?" Ash asked curiously as he sat down on the soft grass. Noctowl had helped up Tailow with its Psychic powers, and Quagsire and Totodile had already been recalled by their trainers.

Ricky was the first to respond with a confident grin "We are going to take part in the Pokémon Champions League, of course!"

Ash raised an eyebrow at that. "Really? You are all rookie trainers, are you sure you all are up for something of that level?" He asked testily.

Jimmie was fired up at that question. "What kind of a question is that!? Of course we are ready, we will train as hard as we can, and then I will win the Champions League to become the Pokémon Master of the world!" Jimmie said enthusiastically.

Ash smiled thinly at seeing the three then bicker about who was going to win the league. '_These kids are so much like how I was when I started up….'_

Ash stayed with the three for some time, but eventually left them to continue on his own journey. While he would have liked to guide them through many of the training methods, he chose not to. After all, one of the biggest parts of growing up as a Pokémon Trainer was to establish bonds with one's Pokémon with the multiple hit and trials. He did promise of Jimmie that he will one day face him in a Pokémon battle.

**XXX**

_Twinleaf Town, Sinnoh_

"Ahh, it's good to be home!" A bubbly voice rang out as the door of Johanna Berlitz's home opened.

"Dawn? Is that you?" A voice came from the kitchen as Dawn and Piplup made their way to the Living Room.

"Yeah mom, its me!" She replied back. She did hear her Mom starting to warn her about something, but she was too damn tired from her journey to really care.

'_Man…. I am going to crash on my bed all day..'_ She thought absently as she walked to the Living Room, Piplup happily help in her hands.

"Wonder what's on TV to…..day? KENNY?" She looked in surprise towards her childhood friend, who was comfortably sitting on the sofa, sipping soda.

"Hey Dee-Dee!"

Apparently, Kenny wasn't alone, "-BARRY!?" She looked in even more surprise towards her Blonde haired friend, who was sitting next to Kenny.

"YO DAWN!"

But it was the third person in the room who shocked her the most. "PAUL!?"

"Hn."

Dawn stared at the three with wide eyes for a few seconds, silence all over. Kenny and Barry kept their smiles up, Paul shifted awkwardly.

"What the heck are you three doing here!?" Dawn finally blurted out, just as her mother entered into the room with a tray in her hands.

"Dawn!" She looked at her daughter with wide eyes. "Is that any way to treat your guests?" She admonished, before turning to the three boys, snacks present on the tray. Kenny and Barry thanked her, while Paul made a grunting voice that came close to it.

Dawn blushed in embarrassment before asking once more, but with curiosity rather than shock "Seriously, what are you guys doing here?"

The three looked at each other, before nodding towards Barry. "How is Ash's training going on Dawn?" Barry asked excitedly.

Dawn deadpanned at the three anticipatory faces "Really? You guys came from your home towns to my home, a year after we had last met, only to ask how Ash's training going on? No 'How are you Dawn' or 'I hope your journey was nice Dawn'?"

Kenny immediately grinned "Well, how are you Dawn!"

"Not you Kenny, I know that you will say it a thousand times if I wanted you to." Knowing that Kenny had a crush on her was by far the most profitable thing in her life.

Kenny immediately blushed in embarrassment "ITS NOT LIKE THAT ANYMORE DEE-DEE!" Before Dawn could yell back, Paul immediately cut them off.

"We are sorry for being here so suddenly Dawn, but Ash's victory in the Unova League has simply…. shocked us all. So we want to know what he's doing now." Paul explained.

Dawn grinned "Ash is training hard for next year's Champions League, he and _all _of his Pokémon." This statement drew confused looks from the trio.

"All of his Pokémon? How many are there exactly Dawn?" Barry asked as he narrowed his eyes.

"More than thirty of them, and some of them are so cute!" Dawn gushed a bit as she remembered Scraggy, Bayleef and Snivy.

Paul however, focused on the first part of her statement "Hold on, Thirty? Are you sure there were _that_ many Pokémon?" Paul questioned.

"Of course! Look, if you don't believe, then come, I'll show you on the official website." Dawn said as she moved towards the computer in the Living room.

"What website?" Kenny asked blankly. The look was mirrored by Barry and Paul.

Dawn looked disbelievingly at the trio "You mean you three don't know about the official Pokémon website?" At the three shakes of heads, Dawn sighed as she turned on the computer, muttering about 'Boys' and 'One track minds'.

Barry, Paul and Kenny jostled for space around Dawn, making the poor girl suffocate for air. Finally, the internet connected as Dawn started up the website. Kenny looked a bit sullen since Dawn's computer had wallpaper consisting of a group photo of Dawn, Ash and Brock, along with Pikachu and Piplup, but didn't comment on it.

"Here we are… Trainers… Kanto…. Pallet….. Ash Ketchum!" Dawn listed out as she clicked on the various links necessary to go to a Trainer's profile. Just as she clicked on 'Ketchum, Ash', a page opened with a passport sized picture of Ash, with his various Achievements and Data listed around. After scrolling downward for a few times, a group of photos showcasing his various Pokémon came up.

"See, I told you there were more than thirty!" Dawn said in victory as the three boys looked with contemplation towards Ash's Pokémon. Though Dawn did noted that a few of the Pokémon, like Primeape, Butterfree and Lapras, she hadn't seen at the lab.

"Wow…. Ash actually has a pretty well rounded squad." Kenny praised. _'Wait. Does that mean that Ash could have easily defeated me back when I battled his Buizel? Empoleon is my strongest Pokémon…. Yet I just barely won against Buizel.'_

"Indeed….. The question is, why didn't he use them in the Whirl Cup or the Sinnoh League? He might even have been able to defeat another of Tobias's Pokémon." Paul said as he narrowed his eyes.

"And not to mention the fact that so many of his Pokémon are unevolved. If they reach their full evolutions… scary…" Barry shivered as he imagined just how powerful Ash's squad would be if all the Pokémon reach their full potential.

Paul was in deep thought. '_I never imagined that Ash could have so many Pokémon. Even I have travelled through Sinnoh, Kanto and Hoenn…. Yet I have 24 Pokémon… I haven't even journeyed Johto and Unova.' _It seems that there was more than what met the eye to his rival.

"So… you all are also taking part in the Champions League?" Dawn asked as she faced the three boys.

The trio looked at her as if she were stupid "Of course Dawn, the Gyms are closed, Contests are in active, the only thing that we could possibly do is train for the Champions League. And what about you?" Kenny asked.

"I don't really have a choice, you know. Someone has to put Ursula in her place." Dawn's face turned into a smirk as she said that. With all the extra training she did after parting with Ash, there was no way Ursula was going to win against her.

Kenny smirked back at her "Don't dream too much Dee Dee, me and Empoleon have been training pretty hard; we might as well win the whole thing!" He boasted.

However, Kenny's statement was met by a pout from Dawn "Why Kennyyyy, I thought you would be supporting me…." She said with watery eyes, and a cute expression as Kenny turned beet red.

"A-Ah! I-It's not like that D-Dawn! I will support you, I mean-" Kenny started to explain before hearing Dawn bursting into laughs.

'_Yeah, __best__.__thing__.__ever'_ Dawn thought as a chibi version of her made a victory sign.

"Now Now Kenny, Dawn already has a boyfriend. And Dawn, what if Ash knows about this, hmm?" Johanna chided as she came into the room.

This caused a pin drop silence around the room. A multitude of expressions were seen on the faces of the people present in the room. Dawn turned as red as tomato as she stared unbelievingly at her mother, Kenny's face twisted into a horrified expression, Barry balked and Paul's eyes widened, as if a sudden evaluation was made to him.

"MOM! HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT _**ASH IS NOT MY BOYFRIEND**_!" Dawn screamed at her mother, who was sitting as calm as ever.

"I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT THAT THE REASON YOU DIDN'T COME WITH ME WAS DUE TO ASH! WHY DAWN? WHY DID YOU LIE!?" Kenny sobbed as waterfall tears fell from his eyes.

"ASH IS YOUR BOYFRIEND! HOW? WHEN!?" Barry screamed. Even though he didn't have any reason for giving such an exaggerated response, Barry didn't need a reason to be hyper.

"Hn. Ketchum's quite lucky." Paul said over the screaming, which stunned everyone present in the room, even Dawn's mother, to silence.

"Dude….." Barry made out. His face was twisted into a comedic expression, resembling shock and bafflement.

"What the hell? Why did you say 'Ketchum's lucky'?" Kenny asked in a baffled voice.

Paul shrugged as he got up from his seat "Why not? Dawn is a very pretty girl, so it's natural that Ketchum is lucky. Seeing his stupidity, it's even more astonishing how he managed to do it. I wonder if he would give me a few tips." Paul mused as he walked out of the house.

A strange silence fell over the Berlitz household as the door closed. Dawn's mouth resembled a gaping fish; Kenny and Barry were twitching, unable to make any intelligible sound. Dawn's mother wondered whether her daughter would ever forgive her for insinuating Ash as her boyfriend in front of these boys. **(1)**

**XXX**

_**Back to Johto…**_

"Tyranitar, Croconaw, Kingler, Noctowl, Snorlax, Dewott, come on out!" Ash yelled as he threw the six Pokeballs towards the open space. The reason he could carry Tyranitar's Pokeball with him was due to leaving Pikachu's Pokeball with Professor Oak back in Pallet. Seeing as no matter what the situation, Pikachu _never_ got into his Pokeball, Ash decided that it was a waste of space to carry it.

Pikachu agreed quite readily with the '_Waste of Space'_ part.

"RA!" "CROC!" "KOOKIE" "TOWLLL!" "Lax." "DEWATT!" All of the Pokémon came out with enthusiastic cries of their names…. well all except Snorlax.

Croconaw, Kingler and Snorlax looked at Tyranitar with surprise, seeing as they had not met him before.

Dewott glared half heartedly at the beast of kicking him into the bushes.

"Yo guys, I have brought you all out to meet our new, or should I say old friend, Tyranitar!" Ash smiled as he pointed to the Armor Pokémon. Tyranitar cordially nodded at the group, with the action mirrored by the others, although they did look a bit intimidated by the Pseudo Legendary.

Suddenly, Croconaw began yapping happily towards Tyranitar, who looked at the Pokémon with confusion. After a few seconds, even Tyranitar grinned at the little Croc as it banged its tail against Croconaw's.

"So you two recognized each other after all…" Ash murmured as he looked at the two happily conversing Pokémon. He hadn't expected for Tyranitar and Croconaw to remember each other after so much time, not to mention after both of their evolution.

Ash took this moment to scan Tyranitar for the first time with his XtremeDex. "Dexter, show me the information of our beast." Ash decided to call Tyranitar with the nickname of 'Beast'….. It quite suited the green Armored Pokémon.

"Of course sir-

_**National Pokedex Entry #248: Tyranitar**_

_**Tyranitar, the Armor Pokémon. Tyranitar is so overwhelmingly powerful; it can bring down a whole mountain to make its nest. This Pokémon wanders about in mountains seeking new opponents to fight. It is the evolved form of Pupitar.**_

**This Tyranitar has the Ability: Sand Stream  
This Tyranitar knows the Attacks: Ice Fang, Fire Blast, Sandstorm, Rock Slide, Thrash, Dark Pulse, Earthquake, Hyper Beam, Brick Break, Iron Defense, and Giga Impact.**

"W-Wow….. Are you sure this is correct Dexter?" Ash asked in disbelief to the sentient Pokedex, who blinked in the affirmative.

"Holy shit."

**XXX**

_**Team Rocket Mother Base: Johto**_

"I must say I am impressed by your work in Johto…. It's a vast improvement from what I've come to hope from you in the recent years." A cold, condescending voice came as Giovanni looked over the forms of three of his stupidest, or smartest, recruits of all time.

Jessie, James and Meowth gulped collectively as they stood in position before Giovanni. While they could talk to Boss on the various means of communication, talking to him face to face was an entirely different experience.

"Thank you sir." James said as he made a short bow.

Giovanni waved him off. "What else have you three got for me from Unova?" He asked as the three stiffened. While their main job _was _indeed carrying out Espionage and Subterfuge, the matter of stealing Pokémon for the 'Cause of Team Rocket' was always the secondary objective.

"U-Um…. We haven't really got-" Jessie started while nervously rubbing her hands before Meowth cut her off.

"Of course Sir! We hav got 'ta best Pokémon for ya! Da Pokémon we used in Unova are all yours!" The cat like Pokémon said with a nervous laugh as Jessie and James looked at him with surprise.

"All right, good job." Giovanni said, the smallest hint of a smile on his face as he took the four Pokeballs from the hands of the three operatives.

The trio were just making their ways out when Giovanni's voice stopped them. "On second thought…. Keep your Pokémon. From what I've gathered, you two have a….. Adequate team with you, so I want you two to keep as many Pokémon with you as you could." He ordered he tossed them back the Pokeballs. With the way Team Rocket's plans were going on….. all of their operatives had to be as well equipped as they could be. '_Not to mention these three idiots are now privy to many of our dealings in Unova…. If they get captured, it could prove extremely detrimental to Team Rocket.'_

"A-Alright sir!" Jessie and James exclaimed as they caught their Pokeballs. While they didn't have much of a time to create bonds with their Pokémon, it didn't mean that they wanted to give them away.

Giovanni touched a few of the icons on his computer, with a couple of screens showing Jessie and James's profiles coming up.

"The database shows that you, Jessie, have a Seviper, Yanmega, Wobbuffet, Woobat and a Frillish. And James has… a Carnivine, Mime Jr., Yamask and Amoonguss." He noted as Jessie and James nodded.

Giovanni nodded "It's satisfactory. Go and collect your Pokémon from the Inventory." He ordered.

"At once, sir!" Jessie saluted as she, James and Meowth quickly made their way out.

**XXX**

"Dr Zager, how is the project coming around?" A gruff voice ringed out in a darkened room as a man in Lab Clothes held some files on the TV screen.

"I must say that it's been coming along better; and faster, than I had ever expected. Namba is surprisingly co-operative." The man named Zager said as he read out few of the files.

Giovanni didn't give any hint of emotion, just a narrowing of his eyes as he spoke next " 'Better' doesn't cut it Dr Zager; it has to be the best. Dr Namba and you are the best minds of our Organization, and it is very fruitful when you two work together."

"O-Of course sir! Project 'Dark Gene' will be ready in a maximum period of about six months, while Project 'Psy' might be ready even faster!" Zager said as he showcased a couple of charts to Giovanni, who scrutinized them closely.

"How have you made any progress in Project 'Psy'? The subjects were proving notoriously difficult to deal with?" The man in the purple suit asked curiously as he looked over the reports sent to his computers. 'Psy' was one of the projects that he had inherited from his mother; along with Team Rocket, and one where no one was able to make a breakthrough, no matter what.

Zager's eyes gleamed as he adjusted his glasses, but before he could respond, another figure came into view.

Dr Namba.

"Hello Sir. As Zager was saying, we have made a major breakthrough in the matter of Project 'Psy'. Efforts to control the subjects have been more successful as of late, and the number of….. 'Failures' have been reduced too." The failures weren't without their own merit though.

"Enough with this." Giovanni ordered as he looked over the duo with cold black eyes. "Tell. Me. the. Reason." He nearly growled as he looked over the two doctors.

Zager glared at Namba for putting them in the situation, before turning back to Giovanni. "The reason being one of our new recruitments. He has been notoriously successful in subjugating the Test subjects."

'_New recruitment?'_ "Who is he?" Giovanni asked as his arms remained folded, one of them stroking the ever present Persian on his side.

"He is quite famous in the region of Unova, sir. And he has pledged allegiance to our cause, as long as we keep funding his research, his name is-" Namba was cut off as another figure joined the duo on the screen.

Giovanni's jaw dropped when he saw the man in front of him, literally. Never in his life had he imagined _this _man to appear between him. Slowly, a smirk came to his face. Seeing the greatest scientific minds in the world, at one place, working under him….. for once, even Giovanni was stunned.

The youthful looking man looked calm as ever. The small, almost serene, smile on his face remained unchanged as made a short bow before Giovanni. "Hello, Sir. My name is Colress, and I am your latest recruit."

Giovanni gave a sinister chuckle as he looked at the various files sent over to him by the three scientists. '_Finally… everything is going along with the plan.'_

**XXX**

"Hey guys!" Jessie greeted as Seviper, Yanmega, and Wobbuffet crowded around her; happy to see their master after nearly a year apart.

Some ways apart, James was engulfed in Carnivine's huge jaws, with Mime Jr. happily floating around.

"_Carnifine, lef me ouf!" _James muffled out in pain as he tried to pry himself out from Carnivine's mouth. The Pokémon itself was happily showing its love towards his trainer in the manner best known to it.

Meowth sighed "Guess som'tings never change." He casually waved to the group of Pokémon around him. James took huge gulps of air as Carnivine finally let him out. James often wondered just wy ddi all of his grass types showed so much affection to him; and in _so _painful ways!

"Ya know James, Cacnea and Victreebel were the same around ya." Meowth idly noted as he stood near a happily smiling Carnivine.

James grumbled at that. "Well at least Amoonguss is serious about battling." He noted with thanks towards his Unova capture. Nevertheless, the mention of Victreebel did make James's heart ache. The lovable Pokémon had been with him since many days, only for him to mistakenly trade him away. _'I can only hope you are happy…. Wherever you are Victreebel.'_

Jessie snapped her fingers "Oh yeah. Guys meet our new squad members, Frillish, Woobat, come on out!" She said as she tossed the two Pokeballs attached to her waist.

Frillish and Woobat came with the respective cries of their sub species, as they curiously took note of the Pokémon surrounding their masters. "Ish?" "Woo?" They questioned Meowth.

"Wait. Amoonguss, Yamask, I choose you!" James said the two Pokeballs on his belt clicked open with a flash. Amoonguss and Yamask stood; and floated, with confused faces along with Frillish and Woobat, that is until Meowth explained the situation to them.

"Dese are da ol' Pokémon of Jessie and James guys." Meowth explained as the Pokémon smiled at each other.

Except for Amoonguss, he looked as if someone had just farted in his mouth. Nevertheless, he cordially nodded at the enthusiastic Carnivine, who tried to get him in his mouth.

Well…. Otherwise everything went well for the large group. Seeing their Pokémon interact with camaraderie and friendship, and then looking over at the other corner where a Houndoom and a Mightyena, belonging to the same 'Trainer', battled with ferociousness; not for the first time did Jessie and James wondered-

'_Is this the place where we really belong….?'_

**XXX**

_**Back to Johto…**_

**Pokémon POV**

"_So you're all Father's Pokémon…._" Tyranitar noted as he looked at the group of five before him, their faces gaining confused looks.

"_Father? But we are Ash's Pokémon."_ Dewott said with a confused face.

"_I think that he was mentioning Ash when he said Father, Dewott."_ Noctowl said as he assessed Tryanitar's words.

"_But why would he call Ash as his Father?"_ Kingler asked to Noctowl.

Tryanitar cut off any response the genius bird might have given _"Because it was Ash who raised me from my egg, at least until I reunited with my birth mother. So he essentially is my Father."_ Tyranitar responded.

Meanwhile, Croconaw looked with a smirk towards the Armor Pokémon.

"_So….. little Larvitar evolved after all.."_ Croconaw mused as he faced the behemoth before him.

"_Yeah…. And I see that little Totodile is still a little guy."_ Tyranitar said condescendingly. This caused a frown to appear on Croconaw's face.

"_And what do you mean by that big guy?"_ The Croc said as he took a step forward.

"_Nothing…."_ Tyranitar said rather nonchantly as a smirk came onto his face.

'_I really don't like the attitude from the new guy…'_ Was the thought going through Noctowl's and Kingler's head. Dewott was still a bit sore over the rather easy way he was disposed of by Tyranitar, and Snorlax just didn't care.

"_You think you're the strongest here?"_ Dewott asked challengingly as he stepped forward, an action that was mirrored from Tyranitar.

Tyranitar gave haughty look to the otter Pokémon _"I don't think so… I _**know**_ so."_

Croconaw had had enough _"Wanna prove it?"_ The Croc's ran a tongue over his elongated canine as he face Tyranitar without flinching.

The towering beast grinned with malice as he faced the three and a half foot croc. "_Anytime…. Anyplace…"_ Noctowl, Kingler and Dewott shifted with unease at the bad blood between two of their squad members, but knew that if bad came to worse; Snorlax would be able to subdue them enough for Ash to take care of the matters.

Fortunately, before the situation could escalate, Pikachu came between the duo, cheeks sparkling with dangerous intent. _"What's the matter over here?"_ He asked commandingly to Tyranitar, who cringed a bit before regaining his previous smug attitude.

"_Nothing… we were just having some…_ _**'Male Bonding'**_." Tyranitar said sarcastically as he moved away from the place towards Ash, intending to spend a bit more time with his 'Father'.

Pikachu sighed. '_Well_, _that certainly wasn't unexpected. Larvitar has spent so much of its life in the wild; such things are normal. Atleast Garchomp didn't get a big head after evolving…' _Pikachu turned towards Croconaw, who was glaring at the back of the Dinosaur Pokémon.

"_Crocs, you know he's still got the mind of a kid, right?"_ Pikachu asked as he faced his long time friend.

Croconaw merely scoffed _"Doesn't mean the kid has to be such an asshole. I can guarantee you that neither Charizard, nor Garchomp will dig his attitude."_ Croconaw said with an amused smirk. He still remembered the days when he played with Larvitar; that made it even more annoying for Croconaw.

Pikachu stifled a chuckle as he imagined just how Charizard and Garchomp would handle Tyranitar's big head. _"Nevertheless…. Don't pick up a fight with him, from what Dexter told us, he has got some extremely powerful moves."_ Pikachu warned Croconaw, causing him to frown. '_Might even be due to separating from his mother after evolving.'_

"What the heck is up with you guys? I can take Tyranitar, I won't lose!" Croconaw said stubbornly, causing Pikachu to tiredly rub his head.

He just couldn't live his life in peace and harmony now; could he?

**XXX**

**A/N: Wow! So Ash gets back Tyranitar... And he's got quite an attitude!**

**Anyway, I think I owe all of you awesome guys and gals a huge thank you for showering the last chapter with so many encouraging reviews! **

**Also, I reread the past chapters, and I must say that they pretty much sucked. Seriously guys, I am working without any Beta, so it's simply not easy for me to correct every mistake before posting. Nevertheless, I rehashed those chapters, and added a little extra content as my way of saying- 'Sorry for the shitty chapter!'**

**The scene with Team Rocket….. I know many of you might be pissed at the perceived 'OOC-ness' of the trio; but in my opinion this is canon. Jessie and James have been shown to have strong bonds with their Pokémon, example being Arbok, Weezing, Dustox and Cacnea. And anyone frequenting Deviant ART can have a knowledge of what the 'Dark Gene' experiment is.**

**(1): This was just a comedic part of the chapter, don't take it much seriously. It won't likely have any lasting effects on the story. This also does not ensure that the story would be Pearlshipping, Penguinshipping, Ikarishipping or whatever. Nothing is set in stone as of now.**

**Till next time, Tango Charlie O.U.T!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: I do not own Pokémon. I don't know who started the trend of writing such disclaimers, but know this…**

**Whoever you are….**

**I will find you….**

**And I will make you watch the entire season of Honey Boo Boo…. Twice.**

**XXX**

"Let's step it up guys! Dewott, Croconaw, Hydro Pump once again! Snorlax, Tyranitar, keep on running, just two more laps to go! Kingler, try to hit Noctowl! Noctowl, use different Psychic type moves to counter Kingler! Pikachu, continue trying to hit the three boulders!" A young, definitely male, voice range out in one of the many leveled out areas in the Johto mountain wilderness. A loud, unified roar… and a whine, came in response.

Ash himself kept on doing his own exercises. Having recognized his faults, Ash had decided to work upon one of the many Trainer Workout manuals integrated in Dexter.

"I *huff huff* can't do any…more!"

Naturally, he found it quite hard to follow.

"One more sir! Just one more and your 50 pushups will be complete!" Dexter was kept in an upright position on a nearby boulder, as its camera faced Ash. While Dexter couldn't "see" in the traditional sense of the word, he could damn sure count the number of pushups Ash had completed.

Grunting with effort, Ash pulled himself up one last time, promptly falling down into a tired heap afterwards. Ash's Pokémon League hat, the one he wore on his first journey, was duly kept beside Dexter. His normal Jacket was off, leaving Ash in his black colored undershirt. His everyday denim jeans were also replaced by the track pants he had packed for his journey.

'_Damn…. This is much harder than I thought…'_ As Ash lied on the ground in a pathetic state, he wondered just why the heck did he not take the time to properly exercise. While it was true that he always journeys on foot, it was also true that they used to take a lot of breaks in between.

The _fake _cheering audio coming from Dexter didn't help manners. While the smart machine followed orders dutifully, and was mostly productive, that didn't stop it from having its fun once in a while. Namely, by being a complete prick.

Ash pulled himself up against the rock, and despite it not being a thing suggested by Fitness experts, took huge gulps of water. The water produced by the Water type Pokémon was as safe to drink as any bottled water. Also, it contained the necessary nutrients which prevented it from being classified as distilled.

As he looked over the sparse clearing before him, he was much impressed by what he could observe from his Pokémon.

Pokémon had a metabolic and healing rate that far defied any level of rational thinking. Being gifted with super-powers made it a must-have for every Pokémon to have a higher than ordinary healing rate. Non-sentient beings such as Cows, Buffalos and Chickens didn't have any such advantages; a single weak blow might have been enough to kill them.

As if showcasing these advantages, both Dewott and Croconaw flexed their recently built up muscle. Despite having evolved recently, and even less time being through the hard training, both of them had built up quite a lot of strength in their arms, for Dewott, and jaws, for Croconaw.

Dewott's main method of attack were through his prized scalchops. So it was extremely necessary for Dewott to build up a lot of strength in his arms to properly use them with deadliness. It would result in even better results once Dewott evolved into a Samurott.

The raven haired trainer had also included weight training in his regime. Things like heavy lifting and strength training helped the Pokémon to build up their raw strength. While Ash knew that his Pokémon could easily complete such feats while using their abilities, he wanted them to be capable of doing such things with raw power alone. If there was one thing that he learned from watching the battle between Cynthia's Garchomp and Flint's Infernape, it was that not only were they abnormally powerful; they were so even without using their attacks.

Ash hadn't been able to fathom just how had Flint's Infernape been able to reach such a high level; while his own didn't even graze the surface of it. Chimchar was also the Sinnoh starter, but that didn't mean that every trainer's Infernape reached that level. Now, after seeing the impressive improvement in his Pokémon, they secret wasn't that foggy anymore.

Despite how it looked, Cynthia wasn't a teen. She was 27 years old, and had her Garchomp since she was 10, as a Gible. So add all those years of super intensified training, a Dragon type Pokémon, a family full of Pokémon trainers, and you've got a monster on your hand. Adding to this was the fact that Garchomp was a Pseudo Legendary.

'Pseudo Legendary' wasn't just a fancy term for rare and powerful Pokémon. No, these Pokémon had the extreme possibility of reaching the beyond….. The level of Legendaries themselves. Pseudo legendaries had bodies that were more than capable of taking the punishment required to reach such high levels.

The past was full of horror stories featuring these Pokémon in the lead role. Salamance were the most feared Pokémon by the Kings, their Castle destroying abilities were nigh near Legendary. Add to that the nature of Salamance to breathe fire in their celebrations burned down many a wooden village. Garchomps were notorious for being overly protective of their territories, so man's encroachment into their lands wasn't taken too well. Hydreigon and Tyranitar were Dark types, making them more inclined from causing wide scale destructions.

Only Dragonites were a kind of saving grace for the Pseudo legends reputation. The kindly Dragon type maintained a calm and clear demeanor. Also, it helped to rescue as many beings from the seas as it can. With the fishermen and Vikings having mostly a single loyal Pokémon for their safety, an attack by a Pokémon like Tentacruel and Gyrados meant almost certain death, either by a powerful attack, or by starvation in the sea. Lucky sailors often recited tales of their saviors, large yellow colored Dragons, with wings tiny enough to fit into the palm of their hands. Naturally, such people were almost always termed as delirious.

Dragonite's hadn't even been considered a true Pokémon for much time, unlike their land counterparts like Haxorus, or even fellow fliers like Garchomp, Hydreigon and Salamance, they rarely ventured out of the seas they so loved. It was Professor Oak who had trained a Dragonite and showcased his extensive studies to the world.

But just as Haxorus, Salamance, Garchomp and Hydreigon, there was no god that could save one from a thoroughly pissed off Dragonite. Ash had already experienced a fraction of that untamed power when he, Iris and Cilan had first met Iris's Dragonite.

In an age where Pokémon trainers were rare and Pokeballs a mere figment of imagination, humanity had had a hugely difficult task in surviving against the monstrous beings now fondly known as Pokémon.

But that didn't mean that 'normal' Pokémon couldn't reach that level. The Pokémon belonging to the Elite Four and Champions were examples of this, keeping the major Criminal Organizations under control from causing major terrorist attacks.

Ash knew that he had been lucky when Tyranitar accepted him as his trainer; most Pseudo legends wouldn't have been so easy to tame. Tyranitar was one of the more feared ones. But Tyranitar loved Ash so much; it was nigh near impossible for him to turn on him.

Coming back to the matter at hand, Ash had deduced a lot of things, for example- by building up a Pokémon's raw punching power, attacks like Mack Punch and Dragon Claw unleashed would be much more powerful. It was the same as the theory behind weights, if the Pokémon get used to doing things with restraints, they would be unstoppable without them.

That being said, Ash wasn't going to be unrealistic. He knew that despite how much time he spent on it, Torterra would never move like a Rapidash. Things like size and build did matter.

Also, as Ash spent more time with the group of seven, he realized just how smart had he been while keeping the 'Six Pokémon on hand' rule. Despite popular belief, it was indeed possible for many trainers to carry a lot of Pokémon with them. While keeping all of his Pokémon would have been a very exciting thing, by following the six Pokémon rule he was able to scrutinize his Pokémon much better.

**Kingler**. The huge crab had much guts and enthusiasm, but sadly the years of battle rust had got to him. From what Ash had been able to observe, Kingler knew a lot of powerful moves, and knew how to use them with devastating effectiveness as well! But that's where his merits stopped. Kingler employed a stationary battle style, which was something Ash knew he had to modify. While Kingler _could _back up all of the power, Ash wasn't stupid enough to think that all of his opponents will be as weak as "The Amazing" Mandy.

**Dewott**. The Scalchop wielder was young; but _damn _if he wasn't motivated. Dewott proudly showed off the better qualities associated with evolutions that made them so much popular. Better speed, more endurance, increased muscle mass, increased capability to take hits... But Dewott did have his faults. His klutzy nature hadn't changed much upon evolving, so he used to screw up once in a while. Ash knew that he had to get Dewott more consistent. Not to mention his habit of springing out of his Pokeball could prove detrimental at times.

**Croconaw**. The fastest growing Pokémon of his entire crew; Croconaw exhibited a raw strength and power comparable to Blastoise. If Ash had to guess, he would deduce that it was because of the years of laid off evolution that he bloomed so much, so quick. Croconaw used his jaws with devastating effect, easily crunching up the hardest of rocks with ease. Nevertheless, he knew that Croconaw was soon going to reach the third stage of its evolution line, which would create a whole new headache for the poor old Professor Oak. Garchomp and Feraligatr combined… Ash repressed a shiver at the damage they would cause at the ranch. Garchomp already had gotten into multiple scuffles with the insanely powerful Arcanine of Professor Oak's due to his environment UN-friendly ways.

**Noctowl**. The smartest Pokémon of his crew, Noctowl had an unusually quick thinking. Professor Oak had confessed to him that while studying Noctowl, he had described him as an 'Anomaly'. Noctowl, despite being a flying type, could use Psychic moves with an effectiveness associated with only Psychic types. Noctowl didn't have many flying type moves in his arsenal, which could prove detrimental in the tournament. While a pure Psychic using Noctowl _could _take a lot of people off-guard, his strategy would be in ruins after the first few stages. His opponents could easily deduce how to counter Noctowl. The shiny Pokémon had never been particularly strong in the areas of speed and strength; those were the things he needed to improve.

**Snorlax**….. well, what could Ash do about him? Snorlax had excellent endurance, as well as having some pretty powerful moves in his bag of tricks. Snorlax knew multiple damage dealing attacks of different types; an advantage of being a Normal Type. Despite being big, Snorlax had a pretty quick reaction time and good running speed too. He had already demonstrated his above average swimming capabilities in his battle with Clair. So all in all, Snorlax was Ash's 'Jack of all trades'. A Pokémon who could prove advantageous against almost every opponent. The only thing Ash needed to worry about was Snorlax's sleeping habits.

**Tyranitar**, the newest entrée. Tyranitar had some insanely powerful moves in his arsenal. Brick Break, Hyper Beam, Thrash, Giga Impact… Ash had full belief that Tyranitar could Total anyone's team in the earlier stages, even if it were a full 6v6 battle. Charizard, Garchomp and Sceptile were the other three of his Pokémon capable of similar feats. Tyranitar also had a beast of a defense, even better than Torterra. For some reason, Tyranitar knew the move Iron Defense, a defense boosting move not associated with its species. It was the improved version of the _Protect_ he used when he was a Larvitar; when anyone got too close to him, not named Pikachu or Ash. But despite all this….

….. Tyranitar had an absolutely abysmal speed. Seriously, Tyranitar couldn't even chase after Dewott after the Water type played a prank on it! Instead, Tyranitar chose to deal with things with brute force. In this case, a low powered _Hyper_ _Beam_ on the unsuspecting Otter. But even then, the speed of Tyranitar was something horrible. Even Torterra could run faster than him. That was something Ash knew that he had to absolutely improve. Speedy Pokémon like Sceptile, Garchomp and ….. Latios, could effectively destroy Tyranitar in a serious battle.

Not to mention Tyranitar had developed quite an attitude, and ego, in his time away from Ash. He had also taken quite a liking to his nickname of 'Beast'. It fit like the pants of a man with five penises; like a glove.

All in all, Ash had his work cut out. His Pokémon had full faith in him, and thus put their bodies on the line. True, they liked to battle; it was their instinct. But it was for _him _that they put so much effort. And he wasn't going to betray them by going half assed in their training.

Breaking from his internal thoughts, Ash got up and jogged towards the area where his Pokémon were training.

Croconaw and Dewott showed exceptional strength with their _Hydro_ _Pumps_. The jets of water were much thicker than before. This allowed for a greater chance of a critical hit. A well trained Onix could take a normal Hydro pump and continue fighting. But the version which the duo was using could easily knock it out. Also, Pokémon like Magmortar, whose bodily flames were enough for them to shrug off such moves. So it was all the more necessary for water types to have exceptional strength.

Also, Water types were the single most effective type of them all. Able to score critical hits on most Pokémon, all the while taking less damage from their foes. It was no wonder Ash wanted his Water types to be as powerful as they could be. Taking the Champions League as his cue to finally foray into the detailed and convoluted world of Type advantages and disadvantages was a certain experience for Ash.

A few ways apart, Kingler had just finished up a _Crab_ _hammer_ attack, but Noctowl had been able to successfully defend using… some Psychic moves. It was difficult to recognize the attack. Nevertheless, Crab Hammer did cause some damage to the environment, creating a moderately large crater on the ground. Both of the Pokémon had dirt and cuts on them, showing that both had been able to score hits on the other.

In another corner, Pikachu let out a cry as it launched a Thundershock. Only this time, he attempted to engulf the three boulders surrounding him in different spheres of energy. Thundershock was a attack that sent streams of energy all around the attacking Pokémon. What Pikachu was trying to do was centralize the attacks around specific targets, causing a more intense damage. It was similar to a Thunderbolt, but only it affected multiple targets. Ash's main idea behind this was for double battles.

Pikachu could use a Concentrated Thundershock to paralyze and keep their opponents in place, while his partner could destroy the other Pokémon with some super effective move. Pokémon like Donphan could work very well in such strategy.

In a far off corner, Tyranitar was running diligently. If there was one thing that Ash had immediately come to admire about Tyranitar, it was his will to prove himself. Tyranitar never defied Ash's orders, and had taken criticism very well. He recognized that his speed was not up to par and thus followed Ash directions over how to improve it. Charizard had wings, Garchomp had thrusters, but Tyranitar had a bulky armor. Ash knew that it was not possible for his Beast to run or move as fast as his contemporaries, but Tyranitar could get much better. Another advantage that Tyranitar had was that he was an adept swimmer. While Charizard's life could be threatened in water, and Garchomp didn't tolerate it much, Tyranitar despite his Type didn't feel much discomfort in water. That was an advantage in battles where the field could change.

Snorlax….. Ash couldn't help but sweatdrop at seeing the giant Pokémon. Snorlax had tears, real tears, going down his face as he run up a slope half heartedly. He paused momentarily to choke back a sob, all the while looking towards Ash.

He sighed. The Puppy dog eyes were too much. "Snorlax, if you complete your run, I will give you three super food pills."

Snorlax immediately perked up at that and started running with much more enthusiasm. The ground around him shook as a multitude of small Pokémon escaped. Nidoran, Graveler, Oddish, Pidgey, Starley and Tailow among them.

The super food pills were a new invention designed especially for Snorlaxes, by the Silph corporation. Seeing as Snorlax trainers couldn't well carry the huge quantities of food required to feed their precious Pokémon, the scientists at Silph had designed the micro compressing food pills which satiated the hunger of the Pokémon. Two pills each were to be given to Snorlax as the three meals of the day. The super food pills had beaten the food shrinking containers designed by Devon, their rival company.

All of the seven Pokémon were training very well. Both Dewott and Croconaw could now maintain their Hydro Pumps for longer amounts of time, showing that their stamina had increased. Croconaw's other moves were also coming along well, particularly Aqua Tail.

Things were coming along well for Ash Ketchum and his Pokémon….

**XXX**

_**Hoenn**_

"It's good to be back!" The princess of Hoenn exclaimed as she entered her house for the first time since over a year ago. Having journeyed in Johto for a second consecutive year, and then visiting Ash's house took quite a toll on the young brunette, and she was completely ready to laze it out till the Champions cup. Well, not completely. She did intend to train a lot for the Cup.

"Welcome back May!" Her father was sitting on the couch, reading a newspaper. Norman Maple was enjoying the holiday he had got from the League. Due to the Champions League being open to even Gym Leaders, the League had decided to close the Gyms, so that even the Gym Leaders get ample time to train and create strategies for their teams.

Caroline engulfed her daughter in a bone crushing hug, happy to see her in the person after so much time.

"Its soo~ good to see you May! After your brother left on his journey, it's been really quiet around the house." Caroline commented as she looked over her daughter. May had grown a lot during the one year she spent in Johto, and was now finally maturing into a young woman.

"Thanks mom. And how's Max? Has he called?" May asked as she took her seat .

Norman grumbled from his place, causing May to look quizzically at him. "It's nothing May. Your father is just sulking because Max has gone farther in his journey than he himself did." Caroline explained.

"I'm not sulking…" Normal grouched from his place. Seriously, the amount of distance Max had covered, as well as the different types of Pokémon he had seen and caught; were far better than what Norman had done in his day. Naturally, this had hurt Norman's man pride.

May giggled at her father's expression, although she was quite impressed by the things Max had achieved during his two month long journey. Max was bereft of the rookie mistakes made by Ash during the start of his own journey, as well as May's own. Travelling with Ash and co had already made Max experience and learn just how to travel efficiently.

"So how many Pokémon has Max captured?" May asked rather nonchantly. There was no way Max could have caught more than two Poke-

"Four."

May sprang up from her seat "WHAT!"

Norman nodded "Yup, that was what my reaction had been."

"What Pokémon has Max captured?" May asked in extreme curiosity, although she knew that it must be some starter weaklings like Tailow, Rattata or even an Oddis-

"Mightyena, Kirlia, Abra." Came the deadpan reply from Caroline. All of them were Pokémon that Max had encountered in during their travels.

May didn't really know what to do. Should she be happy for her brother being so adept at being a Pokémon trainer? Or should she weep at being so outclassed by her brother at the initial stage?

**XXX**

_Pokémon Center, Veilstone City, Sinnoh_

"Your Pokémon will be all right in a few hours, you can stay here if you like." Nurse joy said as she took the batch of six Pokeballs from the purple haired trainer in front of her.

"Thank you nurse Joy. And by the way, can I use the Computer present here?" Paul asked the Nurse with a calm demeanor. The natural steel in his voice was absent as he conversed with Nurse Joy, the reason being their acquaintance from many years past.

Joy smiled "Of course Paul, you are free to use it. And if you don't mind my asking, why didn't you take your Pokémon to Reggie?" Not that she had a problem with him coming here, it was just that Paul preferred to have his Pokémon treated at home. She was curious about why Paul expressed an interest in using the Computer, although knowing the type of person he was, she didn't pry.

"Our training was a bit…. Harsh. I'd rather not trouble Reggie." Paul explained, while Joy nodded at the answer. Along with the Chancey present next to her, both entered into the ward room present next to the Operation Theater. The faint smell of antiseptics hit Paul as he made his way to the generic computer present in the Pokémon Center.

Paul wasn't a tech-savvie person. He didn't even give much care for such things other than for what purpose it served his Pokémon.

Logging on to the website that Dawn had shown him; albeit with much trial and error, Paul opened up multiple profiles of the various rivals he had encountered throughout his journey. '_Ash… Barry….Tobias… Remy… Hernandez..'_ the last couple were his Hoenn and Kanto rivals. From what he could see about them, both had remained as he had predicted them to be; average. Hernandez believed in having his Pokémon evolve as soon as they can, leading him to spend too much money on Evolutionary Stones, and catching only the Pokémon who react to them.

This naturally caused a huge gap in his team. He only had Pokémon of a few types, and unlike the Elites, they weren't invulnerable to the types they had the advantage against. Hernandez had reached the Top 8 in Johto this year, which was a fine position is Paul's eyes, but nothing compared to him.

Remy. That guy had been one who had given him the most problem while he was in Kanto, the second year of his journey. Dude had a knack of making excellent strategies, kind of like Conway, but didn't really have the power to back it up. Remy had also reached the Top 16 in Hoenn, as well as Top 8 in Sinnoh, which was again the mark of an average trainer.

Or maybe it was him who was raising the bar too high. '_After all… we are all 16 years old. We aren't 'supposed' to win the League. We are the newbie's, the trainers who are eliminated in the initial stages. But then again, Ash did win Unova, and I did reach the Sinnoh League finals this year.'_ That had been a bitter loss. Reaching the Sinnoh finals had made Paul overconfident, leading to his loss against some 28 year old guy. Not to mention his two powerhouses, Magmortar and Electivire, had been ineligible due to suffering debilitating injuries in the Semi Finals. His Torterra did take out two of the other guy's Pokémon, but lost nonetheless.

Going to Ash's profile, Paul calmly read through the page, taking his time, before wondering whether he should curse out loud in the Pokémon center or not. Coming to a conclusion, he took a deep breath and prepared to let loose-

"You're such a cutie pwie!" Paul looked towards the nearby window, where little kids were playing with newly born Pokémon. Pokémon centers allowed for children to visit the newly hatched Pokémon in their care.

-or rather not. Still, the information found of Ash's page simply stunned him beyond comprehension. From what he could see, Ash's Pikachu had been able to defeat to defeat a Regice. Or, to be precise, _Brandon's _Regice. '_How the flying fuck is it possible that Pikachu can defeat a REGICE, yet still lose against my Elekid!? He even knocked out Tobias's Latios! It is totally fucked up!'_ Paul ranted in his mind. He thought that was the end of surprises for him, but no, that was not to be.

Apparently, Ash's Charizard had been able to defeat an Articuno, an _Articuno _of all things. '_Why the heck didn't Ash use it against Tobias?'_ Oh wait! There was more! Apparently, Ash had a Snorlax stashed up, who also didn't make the cut against Tobias. Rather, Ash chose to use Torkoal.

No offense to the squinty eyed Pokémon, but he simply didn't match up to Snorlax.

Ash had won the Kanto Battle Frontier, he had won the Orange league, whatever it was, and then, he had always scored in the Top 8 in the regional leagues, bar his prodigious performance in his debut in the Indigo League, where he got Top 16. Wishing to see the interesting strategies which caused his rival to lose, he clicked on the video showing the battle between Ash and someone named Ritchie…

_20 minutes later.._

-on second thought, that wasn't really prodigious. '_Goddammit! Ash reached the Top 16 in Kanto by pure luck! And the only reason he lost was due to his asshole Charizard!'_ Paul almost had anime tears going down his face at the luck of his rival. He himself had only managed a Top 64 in the Sinnoh championship in his debut. A record number of participants had taken part that year, so Paul had defeated three competitors to reach that level. Which wasn't a bad accomplishment in itself.

But Ash had performed to an extremely high degree by pure luck alone! And that was something that majorly irked Paul.

Then came the thing which, in all honesty, was a _BURN BITCH _moment for Paul. Apparently, Ash had won the Kanto Battle Frontier. '_And that means he defeated Brandon…'_

Paul also took note of varying Pokémon Ash had in his arsenal. He had to admit, now that he got enough time to observe, Ash's Pokémon really had much potential. While he himself wasn't too far out, his number of Pokémon were a bit less. But then again, most of Ash's Pokémon were poorly trained, so that did provide him an advantage.

Another thing that caught his notice was the ridiculous number of starter Pokémon present with Ash. The Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh and Unova starter trio were a extremely rare group of Pokémon, which only a few of the lucky trainers got to have. And that was if they were lucky enough to be in contact with their regional professors.

Oddly enough, there was no mention of Ash's Unova League victory on his personal profile. Rather, there was a large UNOVA FLASH NEWS sticker above his profile picture, which Paul presumed took the viewers to a page containing his victory. '_They really need to update better…'_

Getting rid of the thoughts, he clicked onto the profile of Tobias, and was rather shocked, or should he say suspicious, by the information, or lack thereof, on the Legendary Trainer's profile.

Tobias's profile was empty. Literally empty other than his most recent accomplishments. His win against Ash and the two Legendaries he used were proudly displayed on the screen. Tobias's hometown was empty, his Pokémon caretaker name was empty, no family. The only noteworthy information was that Tobias's home region was Sinnoh.

Another thing of interest was that four other Pokémon of Tobias were indeed indicated, but their names had been censored by the website. What could possibly be the reason for something like that?

Tobias had not yet faced the Elite Four; the challenge was to come sometime this year. '_Ash did take out two of his Pokémon, and he wasn't even using his full squad… So maybe Tobias could actually be defeated by someone of the Elite Four? It's not unbelievable that Tobias has many powerful Pokémon. But the thing is… _

…_.. Does he have even more Legendaries…?' _

Paul was about to sign off on that note, but it was then that a sudden news flash caught his eyes. It had stickers of *NEW* *NEW* around. Taking a closer look, Paul clicked on the link. He was even more surprised to see that it was news related to the Hoenn League. Or, to be more specific, showing who was the new Hoenn League Winner. Seeing as he had time to kill, he clicked onto the link. Not to mention, whoever the guy who had won the League was, was definitely going to be a major contender in next year's Champions League.

Nothing could have prepared him for what he would see next.

'_What the utter frig!?'_

**XXX**

_Johto…_

"Goddammit come back!" Multiple Tailow and Starly sitting in the canopy of the trees tilted their heads in confusion over seeing an orange haired boy running after something, something which showed no immediate sign of stopping anytime soon.

"Slow down!" The orange-head yelled once more as the Sandwich expertly jumped over a couple of bushes. It was almost as if it had a mind of its own!

As the Kimono wearing boy chased after the rolling sandwich, he ignored all of the loud booms and bangs coming from the direction he was heading into.

Jumping out of a particularly bushy shrub, the Orange head grinned at seeing his sandwich finally stop. The bread was miraculously unharmed by any amount of dirt and grime and looked totally fit to eat. Carrot top quickly ran towards the Sandwich, almost in slow motion.

But it was not to be...

_A few feet away.._

Snorlax grumbled to himself as he jogged forward. While he was all for getting stronger, did Ash really have to make him do the thing he hated the most? He wasn't supposed to run dammit!

But then again, three super food pills were almost like god's gift for Snorlax, so he had to swallow his pride and laziness, and get down to work. Thankfully, he could laze it out once he gets back to the ranch.

Suddenly, a small object entered into Snorlax's peripheral vision. Normally, he would have cared much for it, only running around it in case it was a little one, but it was the sudden scent which stopped Snorlax cold.

Turning towards the direction, he finally saw it. The object of his salvation, the Holy Grail, the Kryptonite to his training…

An innocent Sandwich, sitting quietly in its place, almost taunting him. '_Foul Temptress! I won't fall to your stupid machinations!'_ Snorlax thought to himself resolutely stopping himself from going towards the food, a feat comparable to stopping a locomotive train.

But it was then that Snorlax saw the second thing. A boy, no older than his Master, running gleefully towards the Sandwich. The sight was too much for the hungry Snorlax. With rage, and food-lust filled eyes, Snorlax took off towards the Sandwich at an otherworldly speed.

Morrison's slow motion run towards his dear Sandwich had continued, but it was then that the huge obstacle came to his vision. His eyes widened with fear as he saw a Snorlax running in the same direction, towards his Sandwich. Clenching his fists, he narrowed his eyes at the Snorlax, sparks flowing out as he increased his pace.

Snorlax recognized the increase in speed, since he too kicked it up a notch. The background turned pure white between the two as only the Sandwich was visible to their one track minds.

"_**Snoooooreeee..**_" Snorlax's voice came out in a slow motioned, low pitched version, as he skidded over one of the boulders like a punk over the hood of a car.

"_**Nooooooo!" **_Morrison's voice had turned into a demonic one, slow paced, as did a cartwheel over a fallen piece of log. With athleticism belying his body, Morrison somehow evaded the things he never could have, only for his beloved Sandwich.

Both of them reached the Sandwich almost at the same time, only a split second between them. But it was Snorlax who held the advantage, as he quickly moved his hands towards the Sandwich. Morrison extended his hands in a feeble attempt to win, but he was quickly thrown backwards after bouncing off Snorlax's huge belly.

Morrison watched in dismay as Snorlax happily ate up the Sandwich, taking extra relish in moaning and groaning in appreciation, taunting Morrison with all he could.

"**NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" **Morrison screamed in absolute pain and agony as he fell to his knees, punching the ground in anguish. He would have sulked even more, if not for the voice coming from behind him.

"Morrison!?" An extremely surprised voice took hold of his attention. Morrison wondered just how was it possible that someone who he knew could meet him in the wilderness.

"Pika!" '_Wait…..a Pikachu?'_

But it was when he finally recognized the person behind that his eyes widened, and a huge grin came to his face.

"ASH!"

Indeed, it was his long time friend/rival, with his trusty Pikachu ever-present on his shoulder. Ash too, grinned as he slapped his hands with Morrison's. "Nice to see you man! It's been a long time!"

Morrison nodded, the pain of losing his sandwich long forgotten "It sure has Ash! How've you been?"

Ash smiled as he answered, it was good to meet one of his best friends after so many days, "Pretty good actually! I've been to two more regions, Sinnoh and Unova."

Morrison raised an eyebrow in interest "Wow! Unova too? I've been till Sinnoh, but Unova's kind of too far for me….." He drawled off. He didn't want to admit to Ash that the true reason he hadn't been to Unova was because of his phobia of heights. It seemed a pussy thing to say to a fellow man.

Ash nodded, although eh was a tad bit confused about why Morrison hadn't been to Unova "You should go there man, it's a really nice place, and the best of all, it's got a whole new range of Pokémon!" Seriously, more than 100 new species of Pokémon? Count him in!

Apparently, Morrison wasn't as enthusiastic as him, as he nervously chuckled while rubbing the back of his head "Ha ha! Thanks but no thanks Ash! I think I'm pretty happy here…" Seeing Ash continue to pry, he immediately changed the topic. "So Ash, have you participated in any new leagues after Hoenn?"

The raven haired trainer smirked. "Sinnoh and Unova. Both were a blast to be in."

"Really? So… win any trophies? Or the League?" Morrison, though he was sure that it must not be the case. After all, how could his eternal rival be so far in front of him? It just wasn't possible that Ash wins a league while he did not-

"Yeah! The Unova League! It was so awesome man….. the Vertress Conference trophy felt so good in my hands…"

Morrison's mind tuned out Ash. He was shocked. Utterly shocked and stunned and staggered and flabbergasted and bowled over and what not. Morrison felt himself being pulled into a never ending darkness. An endless pit of sorrow and disgrace, an emptiness greater than a Ghost Pokémon, he saw his Pokémon shaking their heads in shame at him, his sandwich being gobbled up an army of Snorlaxes… and Ash!? He could see his buddy, his rival! Oompa Loompas mockingly danced around him, singing the shittiest songs ever made. The songs were so horrible that even a hundred retarded monkeys shitting on a broken typewriter could not produce them. Ash was happily eating _**his **_sandwiches, all the while surrounded by hot mama jamas…..

"_**NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"**_

Ash jumped in shock as Morrison started screaming all of a sudden. Morrison's eyes were glazed over as he seemed to be in a dream like state. Seeing his friend turning insane, Ash quickly regained his bearings. Taking hold of Morrison's shoulders, he shook his friend wildly, but it had no effect.

Even the ten slaps Ash gave him were not enough to pull Morrison out of his daze. Finally, having become annoyed by the loud screaming, Ash took drastic measures.

"Pikachu, use a _Thundershock_ on Morrison!" Ash shouted to his partner, who jumped into the air with a 'Pika', and dutifully Thundershock-ed Morrison.

On a side note, Pikachu looked awfully happy while doing so. '_Strange…'_

The shock therapy indeed worked as a steaming Morrison looked all around as he lay on the ground.

"Wha…. Where am I…?" Morrison mumbled as he looked around blearily. There were no Oompa Loompas, no crappy songs, no froot looking babes…

"Morrison..? You alright man?" Ash asked his friend carefully. No one should drop their guard against a person who was screaming in an insane manner almost ten seconds ago.

Morrison looked around confusingly for a few seconds, before shaking his head thoroughly and standing up. "Yeah… I'm fine Ash, no need to worry!" Although he really wasn't. The day dream really shook him up.

Ash looked uncertain for a while, but accepted "If you say so Morrison… "

Morrison nodded. Taking a deep breath, he finally smiled, a true smile, at Ash "So…. Finally won the League, huh… guess you're ahead of me now.." Keeping scary dreams, and humor aside, Morrison really was happy for his friend. He hadn't performed badly against Ash in the Hoenn League for no reason; he genuinely felt Ash to be one of his best friends and didn't want to fight against him. Their ideals about battling and Pokémon training matched up a lot. Both also shared the dream of being a Pokémon Master.

Ash felt his cheeks redden a little in embarrassment as he rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah…" Ash was just about to launch into a speech learned by every successful person, to be recited to their not-so-successful friends, but it seemed Morrison wasn't quite done yet.

"YOSH! It seems you have finally attained your flames of youth Ash! Your position as my Eternal Rival is indeed justified!" Morrison screamed in happiness as waterfall tears fell down his eyes. He gave Ash a huge thumbs up and a blinding smile.

'_What the heck is the flames of youth!?'_ was what Ash could make out in his dazed state. He was still rubbing his burning eyes from the effect caused by Morrison's Coalgate enhanced smile.

**XXX**

_Underground…_

"Get outta my way you moron!" Meowth yelled angrily as he pushed his blue haired comrade out of the way.

"Gef ouf of my fwaice Jeffie!" James muffled out as he attempted to push Jessie away from him.

"Dammit Meowth! Why didn't you buy a bigger Moler Mecha Digger!" Jessie then promptly hissed in pain as her hit the ceiling.

The Team Rocket trio were back to their perpetual business i.e. Locating the Twerp, and stealing his Pikachu. Meowth had been commissioned to buy their machinery, which this time consisted of a Seviper shaped Mecha, capable of moving underground. But just as everything in their lives, Arceus found a way to screw them.

"It's not my fault we don't have the funds! If you hadn't bought all that jewoillery, we could have gotten the Super Duper versoin!" Meowth snapped back. He was having enough trouble controlling the machine as it is, he didn't need a female to bitch at him dammit!

While Jessie and Meowth continued their bickering, James took the time to look out of the window, even though there wasn't much scenery to be found.

Suddenly, the machine stopped with a clang, almost as if it had hit something hard.

Jessie blinked at the sudden stop in vibrations around her. "What's the matter Meowth?" She asked the talking cat, who was pressing all of the buttons methodically.

Meowth took a thinking pose, as did Jessie and James. "Hmm, it couild be a problem with the main engine…"

"Or maybe it's the integrated chip of the GPS….?" Jessie thought out loud.

"Can it be a Virus? The shop owner did say that installing 'Galaga' could cause some problems…" James pondered.

"Let's take it slowily guys… We learnt a loit of things in Unova, we couild fix this machine up." Meowth said with a smile as he pushed many of the buttons, taking notes of the various readings coming out.

"Of course we can!" Jessie and James also started checking up all of the internal manuals and controls.

This went on for a good ol' five minutes, before Meowth finally snapped.

"ALRIWIT! THAT'S IT! Let's do it the old fashioned way guys!" Meowth said with a scowl, with Jessie and James nodded in support.

What's the old fashioned way? You might ask, well my friends, the old fashioned way of course is-

"BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF IT UNTIL IT STARTS WORKING!"

Indeed, after a couple of minutes of brutal beatings, the machine finally whirled into a start, with the Seviper head in the front doing its job of drilling through.

However, it was after they dug through what had stopped them, that they finally regretted the decision.

The trio had sweatdrops on their heads as they saw a whole colony of underground dwelling Pokémon, Excadrill, Drilbur, Diglet, Dugtrio, heck, even a couple of Kabuto!

"Guys… is our life some kind of a sick joke?" James asked blankly as he faced the pissed off Pokémon.

"Maybe it is James…" Meowth deadpanned.

The Pokémon took great pleasure in….. escorting the uninvited 'visitors' from their place of dwelling.

**XXX**

_Back to the surface…_

"So… this is your team, huh Ash?" Morrison asked rhetorically as he faced the seven Pokémon happily eating their well deserved food.

Ash relaxed his sore muscles as he sat down on the soft grass, Morrison joining him a few meters away shortly afterwards. "Yeah… or rather one of my teams. Since I have a lot of Pokémon, I thought it would be for the best if I train them separately while making groups." He explained.

"Yeah, Most of your Pokémon here are Water Types; you can trick someone into thinking that you are aiming to be a Water Pokémon Master…" '_Seriously, Ash has some wicked Water types over here…. The competition isn't really getting easier.'_

"Well.. it's not like I had planned it or anything. I just chose the Pokémon on random. I don't like focusing of any particular type, ya know." '_And the strongest Water type isn't even here….'_ Ash thought with a small grin. But even then, he had no wish to give away such information to Morrison. Friends or not, with the upcoming Champions League, they were all rivals.

Morrison nodded in praise. "That's good Ash. Even I have been following the same kind of regime. But even then, I always keep my old buddy with me."

Ash raised an eyebrow in slight confusion. "Old buddy…. Is it Metang?" It must be, seeing as how Metang was the preferred, and the strongest Pokémon Morrison had. He followed the same routine, Pikachu always stayed with him, no matter what.

Morrison grinned as he stood up "You'd be surprised!" Tracing his hand inside his Kimono upper wear, Morrison brought out six Pokeballs, all of them in their shrinked up state. "Now that I have seen you current Pokémon, I think it's only fair that you see mine, yeah?" Morrison asked, to which Ash nodded enthusiastically, he really wanted to see the type of Pokémon his rival had gotten in the years since the Hoenn League.

The six Pokeballs enlarged as Morrison tossed them forward "Come on out guys!" Ash's Pokémon also watched with baited silence. Even they were intrigued about the identities of their possible foes.

In a brilliant flash of light, six multi sized figures materialized. In few seconds, theirs forms were truly out of their Pokeballs.

Ash gasped as he saw the multitude of strong looking, and varied, Pokémon that arrived.

A bipedal Pokémon, with a large cobalt blue body and large three-fingered hands. It had two orange gills that protruded from round patches on its cheeks. Its head has two large semicircular black fins that extend from the top of its orange eyes to the back of its head. Its tail fin is big, broad, and black. It has a white underside and orange ridged portions above its hands and three-toed feet.

A Swampert.

Another bipedal, weasel-like Pokémon with a pale gray body and several feathery areas was the second. It had a bright red crown and collar made of wide feathers, and a single, thinner feather on each ear. It had two tail feathers and three claws on each paw. There was a yellow, oval marking in the center of its forehead. Its Red eyes and protruding fangs gave for a menacing appearance.

The third one was a large Sauropod like Pokémon. It had a brown colored body, wrapped in green leaves on its chest and head. It possessed large, broad leaves on its back, used for flight.

A Tropius.

A reptilian Pokémon, green in color, was the fourth. On either sides of its head were yellow frills, which were connected by lines to its yellow lips and rings around its eyes. There were small ridges on its shoulders and a red zigzag stripe around its midsection. The hands and feet had three short digits each, and it had yellow soles. It also had a long skinny tail that was curled tightly in a spiral.

A Keckleon.

Next was a moth-like Pokémon that Ash knew all too well. It had a purple egg-shaped body and tattered, green wings with red circles and streaks. It had yellow antennae and yellow stylized compound eyes. Its legs are red and stubby, and it has a jagged fringe on its rear.

A Dustox.

The last one was what anyone could easily describe as the most impressive of the six. A large robotic Pokémon with a turquoise, disc-shaped body and four legs. The main body appeared to serve as both head and body, and this Pokémon's overall construction gave it the appearance of a mechanized arachnid. A large, metallic cross was situated in the center of its face. On either side of the cross, a red eye peers out from a space in the metallic armor. While the upper portion of the legs were relatively thin, they were considerably thicker below the knee. Each leg had three short claws on the end and a flat, blunt protrusion extending over the knee. The legs could also be tucked in, helping the Pokémon to float in the air.

Morrison's Metagross.

"Pretty good huh..!" Morrison asked with a smirk as he proudly looked at his Pokémon. He was cheering internally for choosing a strong squad for the month.

Ash was highly impressed. "Wow…. This is a really great team Morrison… and I don't recognize any of the Pokémon other than Metagross. They sure weren't with you in the Hoenn League."

Morrison nodded "Yup! Tropius, Dustox, Weavile and Keckleon were caught by me during my second journey through Hoenn. Also, feel yourself lucky, you are looking at the team which helped me to reach the Hoenn League finals this year!" Although the last part was said in a much more subdued manner than he had originally expected to. Seriously, Ash winning the Unova League!? And before him to boot!?

Ash looked in surprise at Morrison "You reached the Hoenn League finals!? Did you win?" Ash asked excitedly, before cringing at the crestfallen look present on Morrison's face.

"No man… My opponent was a real badass…. I couldn't even defeat half of his team…." Morrison said sadly. Ash was extremely surprised by that. Seeing how strong Morrison's team was, he couldn't fathom just who could have been powerful enough to crush his team like that.

Ash put his hands on Morrison's shoulders in support. "Don't worry Morrison. You can defeat that guy in the next years Champions League, you just gotta train hard. I know how bad it was for _me _when I lost to Tobias in the Sinnoh semis…" Ash was jerked violently as Morrison turned to look at him in shock and disbelief.

"Tobias…. Did you say Tobias?" Morrison's voice came out as a whisper.

"Yes….." Ash drawled out, unsure of what he should say.

Morrison looked at Ash with a serious gaze "Mysterious looking guy…. Has a cool looking hat….. uses Legendaries…. Starts with Darkrai?" Morrison asked Ash, who nodded.

"Yup, that's his MO. But how do you know that Morrison?" Ash asked. Did Morrison see Ash's battle with Tobias?

"Because he was the guy who beat me." Morrison said seriously. Ash would have spit out his coffee if he was drinking any.

'_Tobias won the Hoenn League too?' _Ash was stunned by what Morrison would go on to tell him next. Apparently, Tobias didn't just win the League; he did it in the same fashion as he did in Sinnoh. He used Darkrai against every opponent of his. 6v6, 3v3, it didn't matter. Tobias's Darkrai was undefeated until he reached the final match against Morrison. But what caused Ash's jaw to drop, quite literally, was the second Pokémon which Morrison told Tobias took out.

"A Suicune!?" Ash asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, a Suicune. The guys destroyed half of my team with it. Metagross was able to do some damage, but the sombitch was so fast that even he didn't fare too well against him." Metagross lowered his head in a little shame, although Pikachu tried to cheer him up.

Ash decided to share with Morrison a news that would cause an equal amount of shock to his rival. "Morrison, you might have been just the second person ever to defeat Tobias's Darkrai. I did so too in the Sinnoh Semis..." This statement caused Morrison to look at Ash in a whole new light. Darkrai was a crazy strong Pokémon with amazing endurance. He knew it all too well. "…but the second Pokémon he used against me wasn't Suicune, it was a Latios." Morrison's eyes widened at that. '_Yup… definitely the desired response…'_

"So… that could mean that Tobias has even more Legendaries?" Morrison gulped.

Ash wasn't faring much better. He knew better than perhaps anyone else just how powerful Legendary Pokémon could be. His previous confidence against Tobias had stemmed from the fact that he had believed Tobias to have just two Legendary Pokémon; Darkrai and Latios. While he could think of a hundred different strategies to defeat the two, six legendaries might just be too much for his team…

On the sidelines, Pikachu watched with growing annoyance as his Trainer and his friend went into depression over facing a Trainer. That wasn't the attitude Pikachu expected from the two! Looking towards Metagross for permission, Pikachu jumped into the air, and gave a mighty cry.

"PI-KA-CHUUUUU!" A huge Thundershock hit the two trainers, who were promptly singed as they twitched on the ground uncomfortably.

"W-what w-was t-that f-for Pika P-pal…" Morrison barely made out. Ash groaned in support of the statement.

Pikachu promptly got on his back two legs as he faced the two trainers. Folding his arms in a scolding manner, he promptly gave a dressing down to the duo.

"Pika. Chu cha Pika pi. Pika chu chu chika pi pi pika chu cha Pikachu cupikachupi chu pika. Chu pi ka pi ka pi cha. Pi ka pi ka pi ka chu. Ka Pika. Chukapi, chu chu. Pikachu pika pi pi ka cha chu. Pikachu pika. Ka chukka, ka chaka, pika chu pika chu. Ka cha ka cha chu ka chu ka, pikaaaachuu." Pikachu explained, as best as he could, the value of integrity, passion, bravery, and win or lose never give up attitude, to the two.

"So… you mean to say that we could totally defeat Tobias if we train hard enough..?" Ash asked tentatively.

"And we could even win the Champions League, even though we are like a 1: 1 billion odds for it….?" Morrison asked with a similar expression.

Pikachu gave a thumbs up to the two. "PIKA!"

Metagross also grunted his acknowledgement.

Morrison and Ash stood up, new resolve filled within their youthful eyes.

"I feel sooo much better now! Ash, your Pikachu is the best motivational speaker I have ever met." Morrison praised honestly as he shook hands with Ash.

Ash looked on to Pikachu proudly. Maybe the electric rodent did have a career out of battling. "it certainly seems so Morrison."

The speech had rejuvenated Morrison's spirit, and it was just begging to burst out. "Ash, now that we are back to our older selves, would you like to have a battle!?"

Ash grinned, but before he could say yes, a loud boom caught their attention. Both the trainers, and Pikachu, whirled back towards the source of the noise, but were stunned by the absence of Morrison's Pokémon.

"M-MY POKÉMON!" Morrison started looking for his Pokémon in a frenzied manner.

Ash was about to send out his Pokémon for a search, before a voice, a familiar voice, hit his ears.

"Not so fast Twerp!" A man's voice cut through gleefully, a voice Ash knew as well as he did of his best friends.

He groaned, knowing what was about to follow. "Not these guys again….. I thought I had lost them…"

A ridiculous looking Mecha emerged from the ground. The Mecha had the shape of a bipedal robot, with a spherical container used for seating the trio. The machine also had extendible arms, along with rubber coated hands and feet. The structure itself stood up to 30 feet in height, and Ash had to admit that this was one of the better ones as of late. A large 'R' was emblazoned on the front of the Mecha.

But what caught Ash and Morrison's attention was the cage in between; all of Morrison's Pokémon were present there. The cage was small enough to prevent any movement, thus negating any chance of an attack being used, due to fear of recoil damage.

Three familiar figures emerged from the top of the Mecha. A man, a woman, and yours truly, Meowth!

"Prepare for trouble!" Jessie said.

"Make it double!" James held a rose in his hands.

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all peoples within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth! That's right!"

"Team Rocket…." Ash growled. Electricity sparkled from Pikachu's cheeks dangerously.

"Return my Pokémon Team Rocket!" Morrison yelled in anger. The ridiculous motto and the accompanying poses finally reminded Morrison of Team Rocket from the time he had faced them years ago.

The trio laughed in glee "Not so fast Twerp! These Pokémon belong to Team Rocket now!"

The three jumped back into the Mecha, being rather safe than sorry.

"Oh no you don't! Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash said to his Pokémon, who nodded in the affirmative.

Jumping with a loud 'Cha', Pikachu let out an absolutely massive _Thunderbolt_ onto Team Rocket's Mecha. The accompanying beam of light was so large that the two trainers had to cover their eyes.

"It won't work on us this time twoip!" Meowth yelled in victory. "The super duper Mola Mola 9000 is immune to electric attacks!"

Ash grit his teeth in anger. But nevertheless, he had more Pokémon on his disposal now. Sporting a mischievous grin, Ash's hand twitched towards one of the Pokeballs on his belt…

But Team Rocket didn't know this. "And we know that you don't bring any other Pokémon with you when you go on a new journey, so you can't stop us this time twerp!" Jessie exclaimed happily.

Morrison looked even more worried as he turned to Ash "Please Ash, you've gotta do something!"

Ash smiled in a placating manner towards his friend "Don't worry Morrison, I will save your Pokémon…"

"Tyranitar….. I CHOOSE YOU!" The trio's eyes widened in fear and disbelief as Tyranitar came out roaring in all his glory. The power of Tyranitar was such that the ground beneath his shook as he roared.

Meowth looked in fear towards his comrades. "Um, guys…. When did the Twoip catch such a powerful Pokémon?" Jessie and James were still shell shocked, and were unable to answer.

Tyranitar growled in anger as he looked at Team Rocket. He had once been separated from his mother by the same type of people; he won't let it happen here.

Jessie, James and Meowth had regained their bearing by this time, and knew full well that they didn't stand a chance before this beast, so they were attempting to run away.

"Faster Meowth! Faster!" James yelled at Meowth, who was controlling the machine fervently.

But Ash didn't have any of it. "Tyranitar, stop them using _Dark_ _Pulse_!"

"Ra…" Tyranitar focused all of his dark thoughts, and in a matter of seconds, manifested them into a Dark Colored basketball sized sphere in the palm of his hands. Giving a loud roar, Tyranitar launched the ball at blinding speeds towards the escaping Team Rocket Mecha. The ball had a bright center, from which lightning appeared to be escaping.

Although they were able to prevent a critical hit, the ball did hit one of the hands, creating a loud explosion and blasting it, and the structure, off the ground. The sheer power of the Dark Pulse was visible to Ash and Morrison as the explosion was larger than any they had ever seen before.

"AAAHH! Meowth do something!" James yelled frantically. Due to the closed structure of the Mecha, they couldn't even use their own Pokémon; not that it would have been much help.

By this time, Ash and Co had reached the area.

"Tyranitar, use a _Hyper_ _Beam_ to cut off the legs!" Ash yelled to his Beast.

Tyranitar growled as he created a yellow colored sphere in his mouth. The procedure only taking a split second, Tyranitar launched the sphere in the shape of a Beam towards the legs. A massive advantage that Tyranitar possessed was that it could used its _Hyper_ _Beam_ continuously for a long time, as well in quick succession. The Beam was launched with a blinding light and exploded near the bottom section of the Mecha, taking out the legs and massive chunks of the armor.

Ash now turned towards his electric rodent "Pikachu, use Iron Tail to break up the bars!" Pikachu moved with a blinding speed to cut off the bars. The trio screamed in dismay as the captured Pokémon made their way out quickly.

Morrison had gotten pretty pissed off by this point, and immediately took matters into his hands.

"-Metagross!"

"-Pikachu!"

"-Tyranitar!"

"_Hyper_ _Beam_! /_Thunderbolt_! /_Fire_ _Blast_!" Three cries came out as the Pokémon dutifully followed.

Metagross, whose anger level in all of his four brains was pretty high, launched the Hyper Beam with a newfound vengeance as his five comrades cheered him on. Tropius, in particular, looked pretty happy.

Pikachu launched the Thunderbolt as if it were a normal thing for him to fry two humans and a talking Pokémon; which it was, and Tyranitar created a mini Fire Blast, but still pretty big, and launched it. Tyranitar's Fire Blast was in the form of a Fireball, so it created an explosive damage, rather than an arson form.

The three attacks hit the sphere which protected the trio, effectively smashing it, and launching them off into the clear sky.

"We should have been more prepared…" Jessie groaned.

"But we came so close for real!" James said as anime tears ran down his face.

"But that doesn't matter cause.." Meowth began.

"Team Rocket is blasting off again!"

Ash and Morrison watched with deadpan stares as Team Rocket blasted off into space, eventually disappearing with a 'Ping'.

Morrison looked at Ash with beady eyes. "They seriously do that even now?" He asked in disbelief.

Ash deadpanned, as if Morrison had asked a stupid question. "Of course they do… it's their MO.."

Morrison grinned as he faced Ash. "Hey Ash, as I was saying before, would you like to have a Pokémon battle!?" Morrison asked, as he reiterated his question from before.

Ash smirked. "You didn't really need to ask!"

As they made their way towards the clearing, Ash looked in slight worry towards the sky. Even though he didn't 'Like' the Team Rocket trio, he didn't hate them. They had become a sort of constant for him through every journey he had taken till now. He still remembered how the trio had almost sacrificed their own lives once to help him with Lugia.

"They seriously need to stop doing their 'Blasting off' thing…. One day they are gonna get hurt.." Ash murmured worriedly, earning a nod from Pikachu.

Little did he know…

**XXX**

_A large distance away…. 5 minutes later…_

"JAMES! DON'T YOU LEAVE THAT BRANCH, OR I SWEAR IMMA KILL YOU!" Jessie roared from her position on James's leg, as Meowth held on to her own.

"I'M TRYING, OKAY? BUT THE BRANCH IS TOO SMALL!" James yelled back as anime tears fell from his eyes.

"I'M TOO YOUING TO DWIE! ME-OWTH!" Meowth wasn't doing so well himself. Feeling himself slipping off, his claws protruded reflexively, earning a pain filled yelp from Jessie.

Jessie's head appeared to have gotten ten times it size as she yelled at Meowth. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING MEOWTH!" While Meowth flashed an apologetic grin at her, the cat Pokémon turned towards his blue haired partner with a grin.

"James! Your Carnivine! He can save us, call him out!" Meowth yelled, relief seeping from every word.

James got a huge grin as he turned to Jessie "Jessie! Get Carnivine's Pokeball from my belt!" He himself could not have gotten it, seeing as he was holding onto the branch.

Jessie frantically reached for the Pokeballs, only to balk in shock when she didn't find any. "B-But there aren't any Pokeballs here!" She screamed in fear to the two.

Meowth eyes widened at that. "Oh shitoit! I had place all of ouir Pokeballs in the bag! IT FELL ON THE TREE NEAR THE CLIFF!" Indeed, the bag was easily visible from their place as it comfortable lie on the large tree.

It was almost as if fate itself was mocking them.

"Oh no! The branch is slipping….!" James held on to the branch for dear life, but it was not to be since the branch eventually did give way.

"AAAHHHH!" The three would have fallen to their deaths, if not for a very familiar screech filling the air…

**XXX**

_A few minutes earlier…_

A large yellow Pokémon happily jumped around as it feasted on the several flies and insects trapped in its pitcher. Having a large supply of fruits didn't dampen matters.

"AAAHHH!" The Pokémon looked up in interest as the scream reached its ear. While the Pokémon would have usually not paid much attention to such matters, it was when it finally saw just who was screaming that its eyes widened.

The Pokémon didn't care for anything in its path as it made its way; as fast as it could, towards the direction the trio were flying into.

'_Master….'_ The Pokémon jumped over obstacles, used its vines in ways it never had imagined before, and moved with an agility belying its size and build.

"Oh no! The branch is slipping!" The Pitcher Pokémon's eyes widened in fear as it finally reached the cliff. Stopping the edge, it expertly used its vines to grab onto the trio. Even though the weight was far more than what he had ever carried before, the Pokémon didn't give up, and heroically pulled the trio back up.

Jessie, James and Meowth huddled with their backs to each other as they took a huge sigh of relief.

"Damn, that was a cloise one!" Meowth was the first one to speak.

James however looked at the two, confusion present in his eyes. "But what saved us? Carnivine's Pokeball is still in the bag, as is Seviper…" It was then that James looked at the stupefied expression on Jessie's face, as if she had seen a ghost.

"Huh? What's the matter Jess?" Meowth asked.

Jessie pointed a shaky finger into the direction where their savior was present. "L-LOOK! I'ts V-V-"

James immediately recognized the Pokémon immediately. Tears sprang into his eyes as he looked at the Pokémon, who was looking at him with an equally nostalgic gaze.

James jumped forward to hug the Pokémon, who returned it immediately.

"V-Victreebel!"

**XXX**

**A/N: Wow…. A Lot happened in this chapter, didn't it?**

**So… James gets back his Victreebel, the first one, mind you. I always felt that letting Victreebel go was a very insensitive thing done by James. Victreebel obviously cared a lot for his trainer, so I didn't like that one bit.**

**I hope you liked this Chapter guys! Also, thanks a lot for the awesome feedback to the last chapter. WE FINALLY CROSSED THE 100 REVIEWS MARK! **

**Next chapter will contain a lot of plot progression, as well as a battle. Heck, I might include a Pokémon capture by Ash!**

**PS: I have used a couple of ideas from the fic 'Pokedex' by Birdboy.**

**Till next time, Tango Charlie O.U.T**


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